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'We never knew'
Suicide victim takes family, friends by surpriseKERIL WRIGHT, Observer West reporter
Thursday, November 15, 2007
HAUGHTON GROVE, Hanover -
Family members and schoolmates of little Samantha Yates, who killed herself last Sunday, mourned the death of a bright and promising youngster, whom they never suspected was suicidal.
The 11-year-old student, who attended Mount Ward Primary School, lived with her grandfather Douglas Yates a tailor in the community and his wife, Violet. She was found hanging by a shoelace from a mango tree Sunday afternoon in the family's backyard.
Reports were that the young girl was depressed over news that her mother, who lives in the UK, was about to take up her two other siblings to live with her in England, leaving her in Jamaica.
Mrs Yates, her caregiver, said she never knew the child she had taken care of since she was only four years old was hurting so badly.
"She should a just come talk to me," said a tearful Mrs Yates, hours after she was released from the hospital on Monday. She had collapsed and had been hospitalised after discovering the body on Sunday. "She could a tell mi seh she hurting," she added. "Mi would a get help fi her."
She dispelled rumours that had been circulating since her death that the family had been mistreating young Samantha. Yates said she had taken the best care of young Samantha and had treated her as her own. She said the young girl, however, yearned for the love and affection of her mother and father.
She said she had taken Samantha in at age four on the request of Samantha's father, her husband's son, who had said the child was not being taken care of by her mother.
But according to one of Samantha's friends at school the young girl was decidedly unhappy so much so that her friend said she had asked her mother if they could take Samantha in.
On Monday friends and classmates remembered her as a helpful, loving and friendly girl. The Ministry of Education's trauma team was also dispatched to the school Monday.
Principal Orson Beckford said they had done grief counselling with the entire class and one-on-one sessions with close friends of Samantha.
Suicide victim takes family, friends by surpriseKERIL WRIGHT, Observer West reporter
Thursday, November 15, 2007
HAUGHTON GROVE, Hanover -
Family members and schoolmates of little Samantha Yates, who killed herself last Sunday, mourned the death of a bright and promising youngster, whom they never suspected was suicidal.
The 11-year-old student, who attended Mount Ward Primary School, lived with her grandfather Douglas Yates a tailor in the community and his wife, Violet. She was found hanging by a shoelace from a mango tree Sunday afternoon in the family's backyard.
Reports were that the young girl was depressed over news that her mother, who lives in the UK, was about to take up her two other siblings to live with her in England, leaving her in Jamaica.
Mrs Yates, her caregiver, said she never knew the child she had taken care of since she was only four years old was hurting so badly.
"She should a just come talk to me," said a tearful Mrs Yates, hours after she was released from the hospital on Monday. She had collapsed and had been hospitalised after discovering the body on Sunday. "She could a tell mi seh she hurting," she added. "Mi would a get help fi her."
She dispelled rumours that had been circulating since her death that the family had been mistreating young Samantha. Yates said she had taken the best care of young Samantha and had treated her as her own. She said the young girl, however, yearned for the love and affection of her mother and father.
She said she had taken Samantha in at age four on the request of Samantha's father, her husband's son, who had said the child was not being taken care of by her mother.
But according to one of Samantha's friends at school the young girl was decidedly unhappy so much so that her friend said she had asked her mother if they could take Samantha in.
On Monday friends and classmates remembered her as a helpful, loving and friendly girl. The Ministry of Education's trauma team was also dispatched to the school Monday.
Principal Orson Beckford said they had done grief counselling with the entire class and one-on-one sessions with close friends of Samantha.
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