Staff Reporter
A CHILD aged 13 committed suicide just 12 hours after another 10-year-old boy reportedly attempted to take his own life in Valencia city this week.
Tragedy first struck on Monday evening (February 8), when the 10-year-old sustained severe injuries after falling from a window in his Ruzafa home.
He was rescued by a SAMU emergency ambulance and rushed to hospital with both legs broken, and at the time of reporting remained under heavy sedation.
Although the National Police first suspected an accident, a closer investigation revealed attempted suicide as the most likely hypothesis given the way the child had fallen.
His tablet was found in the room from which he had allegedly jumped, with forensic experts examining the device for any clues.
Fears that the tragedy could have been caused by some form of online challenge exploded when, just 12 hours later on Tuesday morning, another child reportedly jumped to his death in identical circumstances.
The 13-year-old was at home with his family when, for reasons that are still open to speculation, he opened a window and plummeted to the ground, dying instantly upon impact.
The similarities and temporal proximity between both cases led investigators to search for a possible connection between them, as there is a record of similar incidents in the past that were motivated by social media challenges.
However, today (Wednesday February 10) the police concluded that there was no connection between the two, as they did not know each other, were different ages and did not attend the same school.
The possibility of a challenge was also ruled out.
After ascertaining that both incidents had merely coincided in place and time, alternative theories such as bullying or abuse became the focus.
At the time of reporting, it was believed that the first child took the decision to kill himself while playing an online game with friends, triggered by an undisclosed mental health condition.
With regards to the second boy, his suicide is thought to be connected to a romantic relationship.
Police discovered that just days before taking his own life, the victim had come out about his sexual identity, although investigators have not yet found any evidence of mistreatment at school or at home related to this fact.
