A 9-year-old boy was relentlessly bullied by minority elementary students for “being white.” However, when his classmates finally pushed him to the edge, the young boy decided he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
Every parent knows that when they send their child to school, they are assuming the risk that their offspring may become the target of bullying. In fact, due to the initiative of celebrities, political officials, and fed-up parents, schools have come under fire for failing to properly address the issue of concern.
While children often learn how to cope with the pain of being bullied, there are few instances that lead to absolutely devastating outcomes. Disturbingly, that’s exactly what one British family incurred after their young son was relentlessly harassed solely because of the color his skin.
Mother Kelly-Marie Dugmore, 30, and stepfather Paul Jones, 43, knew that their 9-year-old son Aaron Dugmore was the target of a group of “Asian” students, which some outlets allege were Pakistani, at Erdington Hall Primary School in Birmingham. However, they had no idea just how severely the relentless torment from these non-white students was affecting their little boy until they stumbled upon his gruesome response.
After months of relentless bullying and threats of physical harm “for being white,” 9-year-old Aaron was discovered hanging by the neck in his bedroom from an apparent suicide, according to Daily Mail. His mother explained that Aaron had suffered brutal harassment and torture by a gang of racist Asian classmates because he was white.
“Aaron got on with all the children at his last school, and for him to have been bullied because of the colour of his skin makes me feel sick to my stomach,” she said.
Aaron’s parents revealed that their son was approached by an Asian pupil holding a plastic knife, who threatened, “Next time it will be a real one.” He was also allegedly told by another non-white classmate that “all the white people should be dead.” Young Aaron was soon forced to hide from his tormentors during lunch period, his stepfather confirmed.
“He became argumentative with his brothers and sisters, which wasn’t like him at all,” he added. “Eventually he told us that he was being bullied by a group of Asian children at school and had to hide from them in the playground at lunchtime.”
Outrageously, Aaron’s parents explained that they had repeatedly complained to the school about their child’s tormentors only to be ignored. Supporting their claims, the school had received an “inadequate” rating by Ofsted inspectors the year prior to Aaron’s enrollment.
His mother claimed she went to see the head teacher of the school several times only to be told: “You didn’t have to come to this school, you chose to come here.”
Aaron Dugmore died of a suspected cardiac arrest.
Tragically, Aaron’s mother was the first to stumble upon him hanging in his room at around dinnertime. Doctors at Birmingham Children’s Hospital desperately tried to revive him, however, he was declared dead the following day due to a suspected cardiac arrest.
Most heartbreaking was the family’s final moment with their son, which has since left them without closure. Coroner Louise Hunt explained that because of the daily torment he was receiving, his last words with his parents were particularly hostile, the BBC reports.
“There was an altercation in the house and he went to his bedroom,” Hunt said. “It’s clear that mum and stepdad did everything they possibly could to administer first aid – full credit to you for everything you tried to do.”
Heartbreakingly, the coroner suggested that Aaron Dugmore probably regretted his action the moment he realized the gravity of the situation. She explained that children so young don’t appreciate the consequences of such decisions and merely make them out of serious emotional trauma.
Expectedly, the tragedy garnered the attention of local authorities, prompting an investigation on the school’s handling of the situation. DI Richard Scott of West Midlands Police confirmed that, although there were definitely incidents involving “different individuals,” they found no evidence to support systematic bullying.
Aaron’s parents believe that one of the children bullying their son could have told him to “go and do something,” leading the boy to commit suicide. They still have few answers as to what happened to their son while he attended class.
There is nothing more tragic for a parent than discovering your child dead, especially by his own hands. The dangerous effects of bullying have yet again resulted in a child feeling that the only escape is to take their own life. Hopefully, the family is given answers and finds some closure in their son’s tragic death.
