UPDATE: Police investigating case of attempted suicide at aftercare

Boksburg North SAPS has confirmed they are investigating a case of attempted suicide after a 10-year-old reportedly tried to take his own life on May 26 at Smiley Kids Boksburg North, where he attends aftercare.

According to the SAPS spokesperson Constable Justice Ramaube, the Family Violence, Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) will investigate the incident.
“The court will then advise the investigating officer on how to deal with the matter,” said Ramaube.
Smiley Kids management confirmed the incident on May 27, saying the boy who tried to harm himself has been reportedly facing problems at home and he also has anger management issues.

“Our centre was in the process of arranging psychological help for him, but this initiative required his parent to give consent before we could start the process.
“His mother eventually gave us the consent letter on Wednesday evening (May 25) allowing the school to arrange help for the boy. However, he tried to harm himself on Thursday while we were still in the process of getting him help through Kuselo Child and Youth Services,” said the school management.

The school explained that it was time for the boy to get food and then do his homework, but the boy said he wanted to go to the bathroom.
It appears he didn’t go to the bathroom. Instead, he went to a section of the schoolyard where the teachers could not see him as they were in the classrooms with the other children. That’s where he tried to harm himself.

Ramaube confirmed in a CCTV video clip the child is seen walking to a jungle gym alone with a scarf around his shoulders, which he then used to hang himself from the jungle gym.
He added the boy, who is a Laerskool Goudrand learner, is still in Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (Joburg General Hospital) for medical treatment.

Also Read: Child (10) attempts suicide at Boksburg North aftercare

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