11-y-o commits suicide

WAIT-A-BIT, Trelawny:

"I LOVE that man above, please shield me from danger; only God knows my problem" were the words found on the bed of 11-year-old Damal Jackson of Wait-A-Bit, Trelawny.

Damal was found hanging from a tree in his backyard last Tuesday.

Damal's mother Natasha Robin-son, said she discovered the note the day after her son passed away.

Damal's death has cast sorrow over the quiet farming community, where neighbours are still trying to process the untimely death of a boy described by many to be talented with a bright future. "There were no signs of stress or anything like that, he was a very quiet boy. Nobody knew that Damal would kill himself," a weeping Robinson said when The Gleaner visited her home on Tuesday.

Subject to bullying

Robinson related a tale of Damal being the subject of bullying by a grade nine student at Wait-A-Bit All-Age School. She said it was only the day before her son died that his 11-year-old cousin who attends the same school told her about Damal being constantly bullied by a boy, who on several occasions demanded money from Damal for a video game that he had unintentionally damaged.

Robinson said she told her son that she was going to accompany him to school the next day to report the matter to his teacher. This, however, did not happen because that very evening Damal was found hanging from a tree in the backyard. "Looking back now, I can only say that Damal was afraid of how the bigger boy would react once the matter was reported to his teacher," Robinson said.

She said since her son's death, several other parents have come forward and related tales of bullying at the institution.

Meanwhile, teachers at the school say they were not aware that Damal was being bullied. They say he was an excellent student who was doing well in his preparation for the Grade Six Achievement Test, and certainly did not show signs of uneasiness.

Detectives from Area One Head-quarters are investigating the incident.