Bullying forces student to take his own life

Posted on : 2011-12-24 11:17 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Police considering arresting 2 14-year old male students responsible for the excessive bullying

By Koo Dae-sun, Daegu Correspondent

A police investigation into the suicide of a Daegu middle school student confirmed that most of the allegations of abusive behavior by classmates referred to in his suicide note were true.
Daegu superintendent of education Woo Tong-ki made a formal apology to the student's family and citizens of the city, while the foundation for the private middle school where the incident took place dismissed its 56-year-old principal.
Daegu's Suseong Police Station, which is currently investigating the suicide of the bullied student, said Friday that it was considering applying for an arrest warrant for two fellow male students, identified by the initial “S” and “O”, respectively, at the Daegu middle school on charges of harassment against the deceased, a 14-year-old eighth grader identified as Kim.
“We are really sorry,” the boys said. “We didn’t know things we did in fun would end up like this.”
Police determined that at least two other students were aware that Kim was being harassed by these students.
Following two days of questioning of the two students accused of harassment, police said references to harassment from Kim's suicide note were substantiated, including allegations of beatings, stealing of money, and being dragged around by a cord around his neck. Regarding a reference to "water torture" from the note, however, police reported the students as saying during questioning that S brought water from the sink to perform the act, but that he decided not to after the other student said it was too dangerous.
Police are also carrying out an additional investigation after confirming that S sent five to six threatening messages a day for four months beginning in September to Kim's mobile phone.
The Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education carried out psychological tests for post-traumatic stress disorder Friday for all of the school's roughly 900 students.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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