International school community strives to deal with teenage pupil's suicide

Friends of the 16-year-old called the El Corte Inglés store in Puerto Banús to try to stop him and a girl from throwing themselves off the roof. Security guards saved the girl's life

SUR

Friday, 9 November 2018, 13:48

The expatriate community in Marbella has been coming to terms this week with the shock death of a teenager just before midday on Friday, 2 November after he jumped from the roof of the El Corte Inglés department store in Puerto Banús.

The 16-year-old boy, reported to have had British nationality, took his life after he and a 14-year-old girl made their way onto the roof through an emergency exit.

Earlier, the couple had announced on social media that they planned to jump. Friends anxiously rang El Corte Inglés to warn them while searching local streets. A moment of hesitation allowed security staff to grab hold of the girl. But it was too late to save the boy who fell about 20 metres onto some trees on the corner of the main square in Puerto Banús, an area full of shoppers and tourists at that time of day.

Panic attack

The girl was taken to hospital after suffering a subsequent panic attack. When she found out she had been trapped and the guards were restraining her, she reportedly asked them to take a photo with her mobile phone to post on social media.

The disbelief across the Costa was especially sharply felt among the pupils of Aloha College and their families. The boy was a student at the well-known private school in the Nueva Andalucía area of Marbella which follows the British curriculum. The boy had been on half term the day he jumped.

A statement from Aloha College on Wednesday read, "Aloha College Marbella is sad to report the tragic loss of life, last Friday 2 November, of one of its pupils. He was a wonderful boy and a student at Aloha College for 12 years.

"The Board of Trustees, staff, parents and students of Aloha College offer their sincere condolences to his family. Aloha College continues to be focussed on the wellbeing of its pupils, to help them through this difficult time.

"He will be warmly remembered, and sorely missed."

Steps the school has taken to help the school community emerged during the week.

Dealing with a tragedy

Once word of the tragedy spread, the school activated a plan to keep pupils and their families informed, including sending an email to parents advising them to talk about what had happened with their children.

The email said that on Monday, when the school returned from the half term break, a special assembly would be held and that a psychologist was being brought in. Subsequent messages sent out gave details of the funeral of the boy.

Speaking to SUR of how to cope with suicide risk among young people, experts said it was important to encourage pupils to look for signs of risk among friends.

For confidential emotional support in English in Spain: Freephone: 900 525 100 Email:pat@samaritansinspain.com

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