TABARJAL , 4 January — A three-year -old girl died in this city in the Al-Jouf province of northern Saudi Arabia when she imitated a hero of a TV serial who committed suicide.
Police investigating the tragic event have ruled out the involvement of any third party or any malpractice.
According to a relative of the baby, the incident occurred while she was playing with her elder brothers who were enacting a TV serial they had recently viewed.
The boys had made a small ladder with bits of wood and pillows to climb up so as to reach a rope hanging from the top pole of a tent, where pipes and steel rods had been stored by a construction contractor.
With the help of the tiny but shaky ladder they climbed up and made a noose at the end of the hanging rope. Then they played "suicide".
The small girl managed to climb up and reach at the rope and finally put the noose around her neck.
Then she lost her footing and her balance, and found herself dangling at the end of the rope.
By the time elders arrived after hearing the cries of the other children present, the little girl was dead.
Later, an elder brother of the baby tried to do the same thing, according to a relative.
The boy said he wanted his parents to weep and show concern for him just as they had when the baby had died.
His parents and other brothers are now keeping a vigil on the boy, as he has threatened to kill himself at a later date.
Police urged parents to have an extra close eye on their children, but many have urged the government not to allow TV channels air programs which can negatively influence the young.
