Anna Catherina suicide teen buried

Jan 08, 2013 News

…..family awaits contact from welfare entities

Even as the 16-year-old Anna Catherina teen who took his own life last Friday was being laid to rest, relatives of the deceased said that they are still awaiting a visit or a call from welfare officials, specifically those whom the family believes sparked the child’s suicidal act after an unannounced visit in the absence of his parents.
The family of Safraz Sattaur, a former student of the Stewartville Secondary School, was in tears yesterday as they said farewell. What was even more overbearing ,young Sattaur’s grandmother, Rahala Sattaur said, was that no one from the system had contacted the family.
“No one never come see we; nobody never call to see what is the matter,” the senior Sattaur said. “Dis child burying today and nobody ain’t come yet. Dem never even say who come to de child de day he die.”
A weeping Sattaur said that her grandson’s body was being kept at her home for viewing, and would then go to his parents home where he lived at Lot 38 Fourth Street, Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, before being interred at the area cemetery.
“If anyone look at dis child in dis coffin, dem heart would break,” the grandmother lamented.
“I want answers,” she continued.
Safraz Sattaur’s parents, the grandmother said, are trying their best to cope with the tragedy, but for closure and understanding, they said they need to know who came to the child and questioned him.
The woman said that after her grandson has been buried she plans to take the matter further by visiting the relevant authorities and agencies. She said that she needs to know what happened to her grandson as the family recalled that the child was recovering from an earlier tragedy.
On December 18, last, 15-year-old Natasha Nazamudeen committed suicide. According to reports, the girl, who also attended Stewartville Secondary, hanged herself. It was alleged that young Sattaur and Nazamudeen had developed a close relationship.
Following Nazamudeen’s death, the family said that young Sattaur had become depressed and distraught. He had however started to recover, the family claimed, as he once again became active and began doing the things he appreciated.
Last Friday, the Sattaurs said, the boy’s parents had ventured to the city to conduct business, leaving the teen home alone. Neighbours claimed that during the afternoon hours, a van carrying persons claiming to be welfare officers visited the home and questioned him.
They alleged that the boy was physically shaken after he was questioned and even as the neighbours tried comforting him, they said he still seemed fearful.
Later reports noted that the officials who visited young Sattaur were welfare officers from the education department. The neighbours told the Sattaurs about the visitors and alleged that the child had stated that threats were made to him in connection to Nazamudeen’s suicide.
That very afternoon, Safraz Sattaur was found by his parents hanging by a sheet in his bedroom.
Both education officials and Child Protection Agency (CPA) officials have however told Kaieteur News that investigations have been launched into the circumstances surrounding both the teens’ death. Head of CPA, Ann Greene, said that both cases are somewhat of a criminal matter and the police are being given space to carrying out their investigations. Depending on the outcome of such investigations, the agency head said further steps, if needed, will be taken.
Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, told Kaieteur News that the Ministry has also started focusing on the matter. He said checks are being made to ascertain what actually took place last Friday. “It is too early to say when the investigations might be completed, but the necessary steps are being taken,” Sam assured.

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