Elementary school student falls from apartment rooftop…bereaved family claims he was “bullied.”

A tragic incident occurred in Incheon, where an elementary school student fell from the rooftop of an apartment building and died. The police have launched an investigation to determine the facts, following claims from the victim’s family that the student had been a victim of school violence. {vi1}{vi2} According to the police and other sources on the 17th, the body of A (12), a 6th grade student, was discovered on the ground floor of a 15-story apartment building in Dong-gu, Incheon at around 3:10 p.m. the previous day. Neighbors reported hearing a loud noise and called emergency services, but unfortunately, A was pronounced dead after being transferred to the hospital by an ambulance. {vi3}{vi4} After reviewing the CCTV footage within the apartment building, the police concluded that A had gone up to the rooftop alone and made a drastic decision. No suicide note was found at A’s home or on the rooftop of the apartment building. {vi5} {vi6}{vi7} However, the family of A claimed during the police investigation that “our daughter was a victim of school violence before her death” and stated that she had been ostracized by her classmates. So far, there have been no reports or counseling records related to A’s experience of school violence according to the police investigation. {vi8} {vi9}{vi10} Furthermore, A was classified as “normal” rather than being classified as “at risk” during separate emotional counseling and assessment conducted at school. It was also revealed that A had attended school and received normal classes on the day before her death. {vi11} {vi12}{vi13} A police official stated, “We have requested a forensic autopsy from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation to determine the cause of A’s death” and added, “We will also investigate the school to verify whether A was indeed a victim of school violence, as claimed by the family.” {vi14} {vi15} {vi16}{vi17} {vi18} {vi19} Park Hye-suk, Reporter – hsp0664@asiae.co.kr {vi20} {vi21}