The suicide rate among our children and young people is a national
disgrace. While fewer youngsters around Britain are taking their own
lives, the figures in Scotland have soared by a quarter in two years.
The Daily Record has had to tell too many stories of young lives ended
in despair.
- Scotland was shocked by the suicide of rape victim Lindsay
Armstrong, who took an overdose after her attacker's lawyer humiliated
her in court.
- Parents wept at the case of Nicola Raphael, 15, driven to a fatal
overdose by bullies who hounded her because she dared to look
different.
- And millions shook their heads in horror at the tragedy of little
Emma Morrison. Bullied mercilessly at school, Emma hanged herself at
the age of 12.
Drink, drugs, bullying, sexual abuse, exam pressures, poverty, family
break-ups and relationship problems can all push our children to the
brink. Each life wasted ruins other lives - the lives of parents,
brothers, sisters, friends.
And for every child who dies, many more live on in black depression.
Society tells these kids that they must look great, get rich, be a
success. Far too many are made to feel like failures. Every day is hell
for countless numbers of our young people, but they often feel they
cannot ask for help.
Dean McCaskill, 15, hanged himself at his Edinburgh home in February.
To this day, mum Lauraine does not know why. She believes Dean was
caught in the "macho culture" of young Scots men. Even in the 21st
century, many still believe they are cissies if they talk about their
feelings.
Three times more boys than girls killed themselves in Scotland in
2000. Leading psychologist Dr Tom Low said: "Young men are not
encouraged by our culture to get help. If you have a psychological
problem as a young male, you are supposed to just deal with it."
There have been enough funerals, enough families ripped apart with no
hope of being repaired. It is time to act. In an ongoing campaign that
begins today, the Record will fight tirelessly to give our suffering
children hope. We will press Scotland's rulers to keep their promise by
appointing a Children's Commissioner to protect youngsters. And we will
watch closely as plans to save Scots kids from suicide are unveiled in
November. A strategy for England was revealed yesterday, but sadly,
Scotland is lagging behind.
To make the difference, we need your help. We are asking readers to
give what they can to the charity Facilitate, which is raising funds to
set up five centres across Scotland where young people in trouble can
get counselling. The centres will offer comfort to youngsters with
depression, and their families. The stories of tragedy we tell today
show clearly that such support is desperately needed.
SARAH NAPUK
Sarah, 21, of Edinburgh, hanged herself in 1997 at Oxford University,
where she was studying history. She had suffered depresssion and had
tried to kill herself twice before.
JAY GARNER
Nineteen-year-old Jay, of Denny, Stirlingshire, hanged himself two years
ago, almost a year after his father died from a heart attack while he
was out jogging.
DEONNE JOHNSTONE
Deonne, 17, hanged herself in her bedroom at home in Dunbar, East
Lothian, on New Year's Day this year, just hours after having a row with
her boyfriend.
GRANT DURIE
Grant, 17, shot himself in his parents' luxury home in Motherwell,
Lanarkshire, in 1999. Grant, ranked in Scotland's top 10 swimmers, left
a suicide note.
SARAH JANE KETTLES
Kilsyth Academy pupil Sarah Jane, 14, killed herself in August, 2000,
just days before she was due to start third year at secondary school.
She had been bullied the previous term.
DAVID DEVENNE
Hearts youth footballer David, 22, died in February after hanging
himself in the toilet of a pub in Dalkeith, Midlothian. He had been
celebrating his birthday with friends that evening.
NIKKI SULAIMAN
Nikki, 16, killed herself at an adventure playground near her home in
Livingston, West Lothian, in March this year on the morning she was
meant to sit an exam.
JOHN LUMSDEN
Salesman John, 20, of Dunbar, East Lothian, killed himself in January
this year by fitting a hosepipe to the exhaust of his Volswagen Polo. He
had recently split with his girlfriend.
K-J MORRISON
Katherine Jane, 16, committed suicide in 1996 after being bullied at the
Nicholson Institute in Stornoway. Two teenage girls had earlier been
jailed for assaulting her.
NICOLA RAPHAEL
Nicola, 15, killed herself last year after being bullied at Lenzie
Academy for being a "goth". She left suicide notes for her family and
boyfriend before taking a dose of painkillers. Her mother Rona said
Nicola and her friends were targeted because of their goth style which
involved heavy black make-up and black clothes. Rona launched a campaign
for teachers to prevent another family losing a child.
EMMA MORRISON
Emma, 12, killed herself after suffering vicious taunts from a brutal
girl gang. She hanged herself from her bunk bed after enduring cruel
jibes like "ugly" and "pizza face" because she had spots. Her tormentors
also pushed the pretty youngster into a corner and pelted her with
pencils and erasers. But Emma, from Edinburgh's Muirhouse, kept her
troubles to herself until she could not take the torment any longer.
LINDSAY ARMSTRONG
Lindsay, 17, took her own life after she was raped by a 14-year-old boy.
Lindsay, from New Cumnock, Ayrshire, was so traumatised after giving
evidence against her attacker, that she killed herself within days of
the High Court case. She was found in her bed after taking an overdose
of anti-depressants.
Report by Annie Brown
The Daily Record, 17 September 2002
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