An eight-year-old boy reportedly killed himself just two days after being bullied at school, his family’s lawyers claim.
Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Taye was found hanging in his bedroom by his devastated mum Cornelia Reynolds hours after coming home from school on January 26.
According to local authorities, Gabe was beaten unconscious in the bathroom at Carson Elementary School in Ohio – two days before he took his own life.
What seem to be really disturbing is when the school officials allegedly told the boy’s mother that he simply fainted. But surveillance footage, which was not released publicly, shows a boy punching and assaulting other students before Gabe walked in.
The video shows Gabe being attacked before he is left lying on the ground unconscious for more than seven minutes, until a staff member and a school nurse came to his aid.
Jennifer Branch, the family lawyer, said: “He actually attempts to shake the assailant’s hand, and the assailant pulled him forward and slammed him into the wall, and he is knocked unconscious for seven-and-a-half minutes.”
Carson Elementary School said they haven’t received any reports of bullying that year before the attack on Gabe happened. The school says the events in the video, which they refused to release, have been misunderstood and “characterised” by police and the media.
Branch said cops saw the video and labelled it “alarming” and “bullying” in a report.
The family lawyer says Ms. Reynolds is devastated that her son’s last day was so painful and is calling for justice.
Branch added: “She couldn’t protect him, and now she wants to know what was really going on.”
She admitted there weren’t many signs her son was being bullied in school and has warned other parents to be alert for signs.
“I guess he didn’t know how to tell me stuff was happening. Him going to the nurse’s station or him not wanting to go to school, that was his way of trying to communicate with me. That was his way.”,
she said.
His mum is hoping other parents and students might come forward with more information.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Ms Reynolds to help with funeral costs and support which raised nearly £5,500.
Sources:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/harrowing-footage-shows-boy-8-10413005
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4496984/Boy-8-killed-beaten-unconscious.html