Racial abuse, bullying led Sri Lankan teen to kill himself in Limburg
A 15-year-old Sri Lankan boy from Heerlen committed suicide on Sunday. According to a message his family posted on Facebook, young Tharukshan Selvam could no longer take the racial abuse, extortion, bullying and harassment on social media accounts from his classmates. "The school, care institutions, professional help and guidance, where were you?" his sister Saranya Selvam writes on Facebook.
According to his sister, Tharukshan tried to kill himself several times, and succeeded in doing so on Sunday, January 8th. "He chose at 00:30 a.m. to tell us good night, sleep wel and half an hour later he died. Despite a promise to his mother: 'Mom I will always be your son and won't hurt myself'." He chose to do this at the end of the holidays, because he was afraid to go to school and see his bullies.
Tharukshan, the youngest member of the family, had a job and his classmates were quick to take advantage of that, according to his family. They made him buy them McDonalds, perfume and lipstick, promising to pay him back. But after his family took his now empty bank card away from him, his classmates turned against him. "They starting throwing food and insulting his dark sin and appearance", sister Saranya writes on Facebook. "They also extorted him with unwanted photos that were taken at school and posted online."
There were also anonymous messages through social media. "Tharukshan die, you're not fit to live. We don't want you. We will be happy without you. Go jump in front of a train, commit suicide", the messages read, according to Saranya.
"He wrote so many farewell letters to all the people he loved around him, close friends, family friends, his grandmother, everyone who was dear to him. No one expected him to come to this decision. Finding him without a heartbeat is due to the laziness of everyone who could have offered him help." his sister concludes. "What is left for us? A lifeless body, we want to talk to him, we want to laugh with him, we want to live with him for many years, what did he get as a reward for all his helpfulness? We lost our dear, good-natured, informative, helpful Tharukshan. Our son, our child, our blood, our brother Tharukshan. Lost!"
