Victims include 3 men and one teenage boy
In a grim reminder of the deadly dangers of depression, Maun was rocked by four suicides in the space of five days last week, with three men and a teenage boy taking their own lives by hanging.
Confirming the sad news, Maun Deputy Station Commander, Michael Bagai told The Voice the first incident was reported on Sunday (20 July) morning when young children stumbled upon a man hanging from a tree in Moeti ward.
“The children were walking along a path in the bushy area when they witnessed the unfortunate scene of a 23-year-old man hanging from a tree,” revealed the Assistant Superintendent.
The children are said to have raised an alarm, alerting the elders who promptly reported the matter to the police. No suicide note was found.
Later that same morning, the police were called to investigate a second suspected suicide, when a 51-year-old male was found hanging from a tree in Disana ward. He did not leave a suicide note either.
Three days later (Wednesday 23 July) the cops were summoned to another distressing scene, this time involving a 15-year-old boy. The Tshwaragano Junior Secondary School student was found hanging inside his parents’ house in Matlapana ward.
“The incident happened around 18:30 in the evening after the parents reprimanded him. It appears they had reprimanded him for a wrong doing and he did not like it,” disclosed Bagai.
At around 20:00 hours the very next evening, police rushed to attend yet another suicide report in Botshabelo ward, where the lifeless body of a 32-year-old man was hanging from a tree outside his family home.
“The family said they were with him earlier that evening around 17:00 hrs and he did not show any sign of stress and acted normally. They were shocked to find him dead and seemingly having committed suicide less than an hour later,” explained Bagai, adding no suicide note was found.
The concerned police boss described the heartbreaking surge in suicides as a worrisome trend that needs serious intervention as it could be a sign of underlying mental problems.
“We always advise people to seek counselling, to speak up and not bottle problems as it helps to release the tension that could drive them to the edge. Taking your own life is not a solution to problems and it really hurts those left behind,” emphasised Bagai, calling on men struggling with their emotions and mental health to take counselling as a remedial therapy.
“Cases of suicide are common among men. It has been a trend for years and we believe this is partly because men often shy away from talking about their problems, they always think they can silently resolve everything on their own,” noted Bagai.
