News24 | 9-year-old boy kills himself in Cape Town, inquest opened

A 9-year-old Delft North Primary School pupil killed himself in Cape Town over the weekend.

• A 9-year-old Cape Town boy has killed himself.
• The boy’s body was found at a property in Delft on Sunday.
• Child protection expert Joan van Niekerk said suicide was becoming more common among younger children.

A 9-year-old Delft North Primary School pupil killed himself in Cape Town over the weekend.

According to a Fight Against Crime SA post on social media, the boy hanged himself in The Hague Avenue in Delft.

Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said: “Delft police registered an inquest for investigation”.

He did not provide the boy’s identity.

Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said: “The WCED can sadly confirm the passing of a Grade 3 learner. The school has been in contact with the parents and is providing counselling support to learners. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends for this devastating loss.”

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Child protection expert Joan van Niekerk said suicide attempts were becoming increasingly common among younger children, and added that suicide prevention programmes were targeted at them.

“The problem with younger children is that they don’t always think about suicide as permanent. Even though they know people don’t come back after they die, they don’t always apply the same understanding to themselves and this is problematic,” she said.

There are a number of factors that could cause children to take their own lives, she said, including feeling overwhelmed by an exam and witnessing domestic violence.

“In many homes, there are financial stresses, domestic violence or the ending of relationships. All of this can lead to a situation the child seems to have very little control over, and so they feel that’s the only way out,” she said.

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Children on the Cape Flats faced specific pressures, she added.

“The levels of violence in some of our communities are unbelievable. Children see violence every day of their lives in some communities. There are lots of pressures on children in terms of gangs, which we’re seeing even in primary school. Children have limited coping mechanisms simply because they’re children and still in the stage of developing skills.”