An 18-year-old student killed herself less than half an hour after being visited by her abusive boyfriend, her parents have revealed.

Emily Drouet was a law student at Aberdeen University and began a relationship with 20-year-old Angus Milligan.

He began to abuse the teenager before she was eventually found dead at her halls of residence in March last year.

Milligan admitted in court last month to choking and slapping Emily, as well as assault and threatening behaviour. He will be sentenced next month.

Emily's parents Germain and Fiona have spoken out about how their daughter was targeted in a campaign of abuse.

They also revealed the harrowing realisation that she took her life 25 minutes after being visited by Milligan on March 18, 2016.

Mrs Drouet told STV News: "I went to pick up my phone - I did pick up my phone - at 9.17pm because I thought, 'It's St Patrick's night, what's she got that's green, what's she going to wear?' And I went to phone her.

"But I actually put it down and said out loud: 'Give her peace Fiona.' And at that moment he came into the room.

"Forever, I'll think... if I just kept the phone in my hand, she might still be here. I should've let the phone ring."

She added: "Everything was so close. But he went in that night and left, the next thing anybody knew she'd ran out to someone for help.

"They tried to calm her down and she went back to her room on her own. Her friend arrived 15 minutes later and there was no answer so it was very quick.

"It was about 25 minutes after [Milligan] had left that we lost Emily."

Milligan first came to the attention of the Drouets when Emily was heading to Edinburgh to meet a friend who called off, and he offered to go Christmas shopping with her.

Mrs Drouet said it seemed like "a nice thing to do" and she was glad someone was looking out for her daughter to make sure she was not alone.

She said: "She talked about different boys that she'd maybe met when she was up there and she's showed me a couple of photographs and things.

"Emily would share everything with me, we were best friends more than mum and daughter.

"She would say 'I met so and so last night' and we'd chat but there was never any mention of him, strangely enough."

Her mother added: "She was innocent. She did have a couple of relationships when she got up there [in Aberdeen] - it's normal, I don't see anything wrong in that with Emily.

"I would be worried if things had been the other way. She was just being a normal young girl and then she's met him and it's been dark right from the start."

Emily's behaviour became erratic the week before her death after another incident with Milligan with a friend telling Germain and Fiona she had torn down her wall planner and broken a light in her room.

Mrs Drouet said: "When I look back I can see she wasn't herself. I just thought she was tired.

"I couldn't have thought... if I'd thought for one minute she had been through what she had been through, I'd have been in Aberdeen.

"I would've brought her home, sorted it out for her, and she knows I would have. We feel Emily was so scared because she thought it was her fault."

When questioned about why her parents were not contacted about any concerns, Aberdeen University vice-principal Margaret Ross told STV News she was satisfied Emily received appropriate support.

Ms Ross said: "She was in touch with student support through the resident's assistance in the hall where she lived and she was in touch with the law school, producing information to explain her absences from classes.

"A student is normally an adult when they're here at university so we respect their confidentiality. We wouldn't contact their parents unless the student gave us consent.

"In relation to contacting police, obviously our main aim is to have a relationship with the individual and support them to be able to report anything appropriately."

She added: "I'm aware one of our student support staff did ask Emily a few days before her death if she was being abused and she denied that was the case.

"But we're looking at the kind of training we give and trying to learn from this very tragic situation."

Scottish Women's Aid chief executive Marsha Scott does not believe institutions are fully and adequately prepared to deal with such scenarios.

She said: "The first thing we need to focus on is perpetrators because we expect victims to problem-solve their own abuse and hold them responsible.

"Do the universities and colleges all have domestic abuse policies? Have they done the responsible duty of care step of figuring out how best to identify perpetrators?

"This is not just about young women who are victims - this is about young men who are perpetrators."

She added: "How do we identify them? How do we protect young women from them? How do we respond in a timely manner so when we do have concerns that it's flagged up to all the people potentially involved?

"The second step is obviously the resources available. Do we connect young women in our universities with local services and women's aids?

"Do the people who are paid to support them understand the gravity of domestic abuse and take their responsibility appropriately?"

Regardless of the answers to those questions, Emily's parents now plan to visit universities to warn other students of the many dangers they can face.

Her mother said: "If we can stop this happening to just one girl, it's worth it. Emily would want to make a change.

"We always knew she would make a change and a huge difference in this world. Obviously we wish it was through the way she wanted to but for us we'll go round, spreading the message around.

"Emily wouldn't want anybody else to go through this. We know she wouldn't. She was too kind. And I don't want to see any other family go through the torture we've gone through."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can seek support at the Samaritans by calling 116 123 or visiting their website.

Alternatively you can call the Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 027 1234.