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| Bradley Wiseman |
Bradley Wiseman, 12, who it is claimed was being targeted because of his well-spoken voice, was found at his home on Monday.
Hundreds of friends have now blasted bullies on an online memorial page who are said to have tormented Bradley at his school in Edlington, South Yorkshire.
Shelly-Louise Hindley wrote on Facebook: 'Hope their guilt follows them always and they realise the severity of what they have caused. . . Rip bradly lovee.'
Anthony Rushton added: 'You don't deserve this, no one does. Its an awful shock to everyone, we have all been hurt by this.'
Since the tragedy earlier this week, neighbours have rallied round to help the boy's 37-year-old mother.
One neighbour said: 'We're all here for her. He was a lovely lad, so polite. It is completely out of character, he never would have done it if he wasn't being bullied at school.
'They bullied him because he talked politely, he was very well spoken, you wouldn't have known he came from round here.
'He was a lovely kid and it is so sad what has happened. We are all devastated.'
Rugby -mad Bradley attended Sir Thomas Wharton Community College and played on the wing for Doncaster Rugby Union Football Club's Under-12s.
His coach John Wills said: 'He was a lot of fun. There was no evidence of him being bullied at rugby practice or during games.
'He loved rugby and would come along with his mum and brother and sister.
'Bradley was really popular with all the other boys.'
Mary McCorry, headteacher at Sir Thomas Wharton Community College, said: 'Bradley had settled into school well and there have been no reports of bullying or any problems that we are aware of.
'On behalf of everyone at Sir Thomas Wharton, we are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden death of one of our pupils.
'Bradley was a bright and popular boy and will be very much missed at school. Our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with his family at this difficult time.'
An investigation by South Yorkshire Police has been started following the grim discovery at 4.30pm on Monday.
A spokesman said officers were not treating the death as suspicious.
From the Daily Mail, with thanks.
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5 comments:
I never know what would be more terrible: That they all noticed but looked away until this happened - or that nobody really gave enough of a damn to notice at all... but as we all know, the decision to commit suicide is not made on the spur of the moment. It has a long, painful history.
I know that bullying at school or on the street can be a soul destroying experience and sometimes a frightening one too, but I always wonder when kids commit suicide what their home life was like.
I guess not brilliant or he might have felt he had alternatives and someone who would help fight his corner.
Speaking from my experiences parents and teachers did not treat bullying with enough concern. They just saw it as something everyone goes through and will get over it. As we have seen not everyone gets over it alive or even undamaged. Where is a child supposed to turn when the people who should be there for him/her turn a blind eye to their suffering?
I keep hearing how it gets better when you leave school, but that is not much help when you have been bullied for years and still have years until you get out of school. Once you do get out of school you are just supposed to forget everything that has happened to you? Poof, all of the hurt just leaves and you are happy again. Sorry, but that only happens in fairy tales. The bullies have to be stopped before they do damage, and children need someone they can go to that will give them help now.
and so we are less... again. All the same code words... 'well spoken', 'lovely', 'polite'...
All the befuddlement and closing of ranks... only the kids ever seem to know what's really going on...
How is this possible? Bradley couldn't have made this awful choice from some isolated incident, and, from what I've been hearing from the kids out there, especially in places like Ireland, this issue is still, amazingly, getting short shrift-- terrorized kids who feel trapped, with little or NO support from the 'lovely', gutless teachers and administrators around them... I am sickened and even tho I should be beyond this, I am shocked, all over again... What will it take?
I hope his tormentors are forced into the light... I don't care how old or young they are, anymore. I hope they are brought out, with their enabling parents and teachers and asked why they allowed this kind of thing to happen by their actions or inaction.. W/o some type of accountability, this will just continue. And now, words fail me and I am left only with tears... tman
In the UK there is an increasing awareness of bullying and school and elsewhere with everyone from our Prime Minister downwards expressing concern.
From the LGBT perspective the informal arrangement for Stonewall to visit schools, headed up by gay hero Sir Ian McKellan, to become formally recognised and facilitated by the Department of Education. That has to be a major step forward because it means that the visits can go ahead in all State funded schools whereas before it had been down to the whim of the head teacher.
Maybe this will help raise the issue of bullying on the wider front too but if kids are helped to see that bullying because of homophobic prejudice is wrong then maybe they can be taken further to understand that all bullying is wrong, whatever the excuse.
Mind you - adult society is only learning this slowly. One can still find bullying people around - just listen out and you'll hear them. That's got to stop if their kids are not going to simply follow their lead.
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