Reiger Park family speak out about their ‘bullied’ boy
Speaking to the Advertiser at their home in Reiger Park on February 6 , the child’s 63-year-old grandmother, who cannot be named to protect the boy’s identity, said the family was still shocked about what happened, but thanked God that their child is alive.
The family of the Grade Six learner from Drommedaris Primary School who tried to commit suicide said they blame the school for what happened to their child.
This comes after their 11-year-old child allegedly tried to hang himself with his school tie on January 30 after complaining that he was continuously being bullied at school.
ALSO READ: ‘Bullied’ learner tries to take his life
The grandmother said the child started playing with his school tie in his room on January 29 by tying it around his waist, feet and hands.
“I monitored him that day until the following day when he came back from school. He was moody. On that day he had a small argument with his 10-year-old brother over potatoes.
“When he came back from school, he hid the potatoes from his brother who wanted to fry chips. I asked him to take them out, but he took time before he took them out. After that quarrel, he went to his room.
“I knew that something was wrong, but I didn’t ask him because he doesn’t usually talk. A few minutes after he went to the room, his brother followed him.
“The brother asked him twice saying what he was doing, but he didn’t respond. When he asked him for the second time, I stood up and went to see what he was doing.”
The grandmother said when she entered the room, she found him sitting on the bed with his tie hooked on the wardrobe holder, and another part of his tie was wrapped tight around his neck.
She told the brother to go get the scissor to cut the tie.
“I finally got the tie off his neck, and screamed for help.”
Her neighbours phoned Netcare ambulance which took the child to the hospital.
“At that moment he was unconscious but breathing heavy,” said the grandmother.
His mother said when he arrived at the hospital she was told that he wasn’t fully conscious, so they had to resuscitate him.
“Seeing my child in that state broke my heart, he was just lying there helpless while breathing through the machines.”
His mother said her child went into a coma on January 30, but regained consciousness the following day at around 11am.
- Bullying incidents
His mother said there were times when he would come home with his school shirt torn, or report that the perpetrators sent him back home to fetch money for them.
According to the grandmother, she reported the matter to the school’s principal from 2015, but allegedly no action was taken.
“The last time I went to report another incident was last year November after they finished writing exams. There were eight children who were bullying him, but to this day the principal never came back to us with answers,” said the grandmother.
The grandmother said the perpetrators would apparently choke him.
“We are not going to leave the matter unresolved, the perpetrators and the school need to be brought to book,” she said.
The family said the incident has affected the brother, who now cries over little things, and refuses to go to school.
The family said they were still looking to place their children at another school.
His Sunday school teacher said the 11-year-old boy is an obedient, sweet child who passionately plays flute at church.
