15-year-old student attempts suicide

A 15-year-old Junior High School student, has been arrested by the Brong Ahafo branch of the Domestic, Victim and Support Unit (DOVVSU), for attempting to commit suicide by drinking a poisonous chemical.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Sampson K. Agbeko in charge of the unit confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani.

He said on June 20 this year, authorities of the boy’s school, the Saint Patrick Catholic School in Sunyani, reported at the unit that one of the students had drunk a chemical substance ostensibly to end his life and had been rushed to the regional hospital in Sunyani.

DSP Agbeko said the student, who lives with the mother at Odumase, near Sunyani, had been going out with a group of people, which the mother was not pleased with, and threatened not to pay his fees again as a form of punishment.

When the boy attended school and was asked together with some other students to go home for non-payment of school fees, he decided to end it all because he knew the mother would refuse to pay the fees, the DOVVSU boss stated.

DSP Agbeko said unknown to the school authorities, the boy visited a nearby shop and bought a chemical substance, drank it and went into the Catholic Church building nearby.

He said one of the students saw him lying helplessly on the floor and quickly informed the school authorities who found him in an unconscious state and quickly rushed him to the hospital.

“He was placed under police guard for the three days that he was on admission at the hospital to avoid his escape and also to prevent him from taking another dangerous action”, DSP Agbeko added.

The DOVVSU boss said the case was transferred to the Social Welfare Department in Sunyani to investigate the matter and submit a report to the Unit when the student is discharged from the hospital.

DSP Agbeko advised parents to be very careful with the way they handle issues at home concerning their children and must learn to be responsible parents.

Source: GNA