Victim was denied medical care despite plea by mother.
A 15-year-old Indian-origin boy allegedly committed suicide in the city of Leicester in the East Midlands region of England after 16-months-long bullying by his schoolmates.
Brandon Singh Rayat was denied medical care as the doctors refused to send him to a secure mental unit without considering the repeated requests of his parents, said reports.
Rayat’s mother Mina Rayat spoke out on Monday at the start of National Anti-Bullying Week though the boy killed himself in August, reported PTI.
“I begged doctors to hospitalize him because it was all too much. I told them he wanted to kill himself,” she told ‘Leicester Mercury’ newspaper.
“Although Brandon received help, he was never detained. His anxiety got worse so that it became a complete phobia. He wouldn’t leave the house in case he bumped into anyone from school,” she added.
Mina said that Rayat became suicidal after his friends started calling him a “paedo” and a “faggot”. They created a fake account on Facebook and made threats. The school teachers refused to take action against the bullies though she revealed their names to the teachers.
Rayat became depressed and stopped attending Judgemeadow Community College in Evington, Leicester, last November following which the parents took him to a psychiatrist. But, a psychiatrist refused to detain him and instead asked the parents to monitor the boy. But, the boy was found hanging at their home in Humberstone, Leicester, on August 9.
“We feel totally let down, by both the school and by the doctors. Those boys who were his friends once have killed him. They have taken his life away and they have ruined our lives. There is a hole left in our hearts and there was no need for it. He deserved better treatment. I wouldn’t want any other parent to go through what I’ve been through,” Mina said.
Rayat’s anxiety worsened after being punched by one of the bullies. He became isolated and refused to leave the house after the incident.
A spokesperson for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, which runs mental health services, said: “We were deeply saddened by the tragic death of Brandon Rayat, and extend our sincere sympathies to the family once again. We met with the family immediately after Brandon’s death, and their comments are reflected in the robust serious incident investigation which we have carried out.”