A children’s birthday party in Pitsane village turned into a funeral last week after one of the invited guests ÔÇô a thirteen year old standard seven told his friends that he wanted to go to his deceased uncle, peeled off from the partying crowd and was later found hanging from a nearby tree.
Pitsane police told The Telegraph this week that they are investigating an incident in which a standard seven pupil was found hang from a tree a few hours after he went missing from a friend’s birthday party.
Station Commander of Ramatlabama Police Station Superintendent Tshegofatso Mokumako said, “We have not yet established the circumstances that could have led to his death and the motive behind his death.”
He explained that the deceased was allegedly invited to a birthday party, while his friends were still having fun; the boy allegedly told them that he wanted to go to his late uncle. The deceased then went missing and was later found hanging from the tree.
He was rushed to hospital where he was certified dead upon arrival.
Superintendent Mokumako said the thirteen year old boy was doing standard seven at Maipitlhwane primary school in Pitsane and he did not leave any suicide note.
“This is the first case of its kind that involves a very young boy” he said.
He said last year his station recorded about four cases of suicide all men while this year they have registered about three cases.
He appealed to the public that if they have social problem they should seek assistant from relevant people or those they trust can keep their secret.
Dr Setlhare Oagile of university of Botswana said “a family component to suicide. Research has found that children who come from families with a history of suicide are prone to committing suicide as well.”
She explained that children’s motives to kill themselves are no different from adults.
It’s very rare that they act up and do it out of impulse and it is not about attention seeking” she said.
She pointed out that children who commit suicide mostly suffer from mood disorders such as major depression or bipolar disorders.
She said adults believe that children are neither mature enough to think suicide nor act their suicidal thoughts.” One thing we adults seem not to realize is the fact that children from age 9-10 do understand what suicide is, that is, they know what to kill oneself is all about.
She stressed that parents must be approachable so that children can tell them what is troubling them.
