DUBAI: A 12-year-old Emirati boy was found hanging from his room's curtain rails in Ras Al-Khaimah in an apparent act of suicide, local authorities said yesterday.
The boy's parents told the police that he had been watching a lot of horror movies recently. They added that the way the boy killed himself was similar to a scene from one of those movies.
The police refused to give details regarding the boy's nationality but neighbors said he was Emirati.
According to Lt. Col. Salim Al-Darmaki, director of the Criminal Intelligence Department at Ras Al-Khaimah police, the boy's parents said he had been quarrelsome recently and was not doing well in school.
"The boy was not studying for his exams and as a result was having daily fights with his parents. On Monday evening he went to his room to study, as he had an important exam the next day. An hour-and-a-half later his family opened the door and found him hanging from the curtain rails. He had used a belt to hang himself," Al-Darmaki said.
He urged parents to monitor what their children watch on TV. "Young children should not be allowed to watch violent films or video games as they can be greatly influenced," he said.
He also asked parents not to put undue pressure on their kids during exam times.
"Some parents put too much pressure on their children and do not accept failure or bad grades from them. Talk to your child if they have problems at school and find out what is causing them to perform badly," said the police official.
