According to reports, a teenager has committed suicide in Pulenge cell, Pajwenda town council, Tororo District.
Michael Ochola, 14, a fifth-grade student at Amor primary school in the Pajwenda town council, is alleged to have committed suicide this morning around 5 a.m.
At approximately 5 a.m. on Monday, the victim reportedly stated that he was going to the pit latrine, but he never returned, causing concern among his family members, who mounted a search but were shocked to find him hanging in one of their abandoned old buildings.
It is devastating for family, friends, and community members when an unidentified infant dies.
Parents, siblings, classmates, and neighbors are left pondering what could have led him to commit suicide by hanging and how they could have prevented it.
According to Mr. Ochola Olweny, the deceased’s biological father, his son had been ill and was scheduled to return to one of the clinics where he was receiving treatment this morning, but they were horrified to find him hanging in one of their old buildings.
According to him, the deceased used the bed sheet he was using to conceal himself to commit suicide.
Olweny stated that the victim was diagnosed with cerebral malaria on Saturday and was undergoing treatment. Unfortunately, he passed away without leaving a suicide note for the family and police to use in determining whether he was angry or dissatisfied with anything.
“We are saddened by our son’s death because no one had a misunderstanding with him by the time he passed on but rather we were trying to provide all the treatment necessary for him to be fine. May his soul rest in eternal peace” he said.
Peter Oga Osande, the LC1 chairperson of the Pulenge cell, also expressed astonishment at the death of the adolescent, about whose future they were uncertain.
Mr. Moses Odel, the town council LC3 chairman of the Pajwenda town council, attributes the incident to the failure of parents to provide care and counseling for their children.
“Most juveniles commit suicide due to the pressure to perform academically, act responsibly, or the pressure to fit in socially among fellow teenagers but for this case, we are not certain of what could have happened but I guess something went wrong” he explained.
“I therefore urge parents, guardians, and local leaders to be on watch out for things that may increase the risk of suicide among teens which may include psychological disorders especially depression alcohol, and drug abuse among others” he added.
He urged parents to always keep a close watch on teens who are depressed due to issues with their friends in order to bridge the communication gap and provide a forum for them to voice their concerns, if necessary.
Mr. Odel added that it is important for parents to recognize warning signs so that teens who may be suicidal can get the help they need, as some adults believe that children who threaten to hurt themselves are only doing so to gauge how much they are loved, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will harm themselves.
He requested that the police investigate exhaustively what could have led to the teenagers’ suicides. Eventually, police responded to the distress call and recovered the body from the site.
The police officer who raced to the scene and spoke to this reporter on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media stated that a suicide investigation has been opened at Mulanda Central Station.