Police swamped after schoolboy Jayden Lalchan’s death by suicide — Flood of bullying reports

News

DEAD: Schoolboy Jayden Lalchan who died by suicide after enduring years of school-based bullying. He was a student of St Stephen's College, Princes Town. -

HEAD of the police southern division ACP Wayne Mystar has said the suicide of Jayden Alex Lalchan due to bullying has opened a floodgate for schoolchildren with similar experiences coming forward to report similar incidents to the police.

In an interview on October 9 – the day after Lalchan’s funeral – Mystar said this unfortunate situation created an opportunity for people who were silently dealing with their own trauma to come forward.

He said some schools keep incidents of this nature inside its walls, to avoid stigmatisation and, in some cases, a smear on its prestige.

“We have to look beyond that, because all lives matter. People don’t believe bullying is a criminal offence and we need to get that message out, that it is.”

Mystar said he intends to start an anti-bullying campaign in schools, starting in the south, southwestern and central police districts, with the aim of it mushrooming into the national police agenda.

He hopes it can be launched before the end of the month, and said members of the public have called, expressing their interest in being part of the campaign.

Mystar said many of them have ideas on how to sustain such a campaign and continuously educate and inform parents, teachers and students on the consequences of bullying.

He said Lalchan’s death is being treated with urgency and additional police resources have been assigned to this case. Officers are interviewing students, teachers and parents. A file should be completed within the next week and a half and will be sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

Lalchan, a Form Four student of St Stephen’s College, Princes Town, took his life on October 3, to end years of physical and verbal torment he endured from his peers, as his cries for help were not taken seriously.

His parents said there was no follow-up to reports they made every time he was picked on. He was laid to rest on October 8.

In an interview on October 9, Mystar told the Newsday the situation is widespread and he encouraged parents and teachers to come forward and report all such incidents to police, if the school in question, is unable to mediate and bring resolution.

He said it is hardly likely that a student would walk into a police station and report that he or she is being bullied; hence adults need to take the initiative so the police can deal with it, as such devastating incidents could lead to suicidal thoughts, or the act as in Lalchan’s case.

OUR SON IS GONE: Roshan Lalchan consoles his wife Nelly during the funeral on Wednesday October 8, of their son Jayden Lalchan at the JR&D Convention Centre in Princes Town. -Photo by Roger Jacob

Mystar again warned that repeated acts of aggressive behaviour and all the multiple forms it takes such as "taxing" other students – which is really extortion – or any kind of verbal, psychological, or physical abuse, is a criminal offence.

He cautioned that if these infractions are not dealt with while the perpetrators are still young, they could move on to more serious offences.

“Physical bullying can lead to violent crimes and even murder. Psychological or verbal bullying could lead to suicide as we have witnessed.”

He said Section 30 of the Offences Against the Person Act covers offences which encompasses bullying, and the penalty is usually a fine/and or a term of imprisonment.

He noted bullying is not limited to schools, but is also prevalent in the workplace.

Office-bullying is generally related to anything that makes a person uncomfortable, in the realm of harassment, financial or sexual offences, he explained.

In a statement, Pride TT urged the Ministry of Education to address not just bullying but homophobic bullying in schools.

The organisation said it was deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding Lalchan’s death, particularly in light of reports he was a victim of homophobic bullying.

PrideTT said, “This tragic incident serves as a painful reminder of the harmful impact of bullying, especially homophobic bullying – whether in schools, workplaces, or online.

“We are heartbroken and disappointed to learn that these serious incidents went unaddressed and were not investigated by the school's administration.”

PrideTT recalled one incident resulting in a teacher having to escort Lalchan to his home, five minutes away, because he was afraid to leave the school after another attack.

“The Ministry of Education's initial silence in response to this tragedy is further exacerbated by the minister's admission that the ministry did not have any prior knowledge of these reported incidents.

"This demonstrates a troubling lack of remorse, compassion, and concern for Jayden and his grieving family and friends from the same institutions that are supposed to protect him.

“This response also indicates a reluctance to effectively address homophobia and bullying in our nation's schools even when we witness the negative consequences of such behaviour. In light of this, Pride TT urges the ministry to take decisive action against all forms of bullying, including homophobia, in our schools, given the devastating consequences that can arise from such behaviour.”