A 14-year-old schoolboy was found hanging in his home late Friday night and his relatives believe that his father’s sudden disappearance two weeks ago is the reason for his decision to end his life.
Mattis Pierre
Dead is Mattis Pierre, a student of the Kingston Secondary School and resident of Lot 11 D’Urban Street Lodge. He was found hanging from a window around 10 pm. A post mortem examination will be performed on his remains some time this week.
When Stabroek News visited the home, his grandmother Junita was still in shock. She said that the boy’s father, Mark, had been missing for nineteen days and only recently a brother went to the area in the Mazaruni where he had last been seen but that he had come back empty handed.
The woman said that Pierre may have overheard the uncle saying that he could not find him and this may have upset the youth since he had been very close to his father.
She said that since her son’s disappearance, she had not been well as she would cry often and had been unable to sleep at night.
According to Junita, she was sleeping on a chair at the front of the house when she heard two knocking sounds coming from a bedroom at the back. Upon investigating, she said, she found the door locked and several persons had to help to break it down.
“When we get inside he was already dead… Like he tie the hammock rope on the window grill and wrap it around his neck,” the woman said, with tears welling up in her eyes.
Junita told Stabroek News that it was not strange for Pierre to go into the back room, as all of his clothes were there so that was where he changed.
She recounted that during the day, the lad had been his usual self and had even gone outside on the road to see the fireworks that were on display during the launching of Carifesta at the National Stadium.
“He is a good boy and I really love him… I can’t believe that he did this to me,” she said adding that she was the one he had grown up with.
Relatives noticed a slight change in Pierre over the last few days but thought nothing much of it.
Junita said that he would come and hug her and tell her, “Granny, Granny don’t cry.” She said that she had thought at the time he was speaking about his father, whom she was crying a lot for but now realized that he was sending her a message.
Another relative said that suddenly he was loving to everyone around him and was always cleaning the house.
His grandmother said he had no school related problems or problems with anyone.
She said that he had been very excited about returning to school and had been looking forward to going shopping for his school things.
“This thing shock me heart,” she said.
Pierre also leaves behind his mother Kim Robertson and two siblings.
May God give Grandma Junita his mother and siblings the courage strength and faith in this time of great loss.
RIP Mattis!
May you RIP.
This is so sad my deepest condolences
i am very sad about that .my god that is soooooooooooooooo sad but i know that god has every thing in his hand so with all this let”s pary because only god an help us with our children. county too look to god he can help you
Eternal Rest Grant Unto Him O LORD, Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Him, and May He Rest In Peace. Amen
My condolences to the entire Family, like Ms emerson says, we all need to Invite the Lord into our Homes, Only HE can understand and comfort this family at this time. MS Juanita , I will pray for your son to return to you, if it is God’s will.
I had a young friend who did this,its a very sad situation especially for the parents.
May he RIP.
Ms.Juanita i’m so sorry for ur lost I pray that God will gave u the strenght to be strong he has a purpose for us all hope that ur son return home saftly
May ur soul find rest n peace.Those loving n caring relatives still enjoying life must now say prayers for the soul of this very troubled youth,that he may return to the Creator.This child did not know how to express the grief n sorrowof his missing dad n perhaps even overheard what his uncle told his granny.I suspect too that his child might not have known the Lord Jesus Christ,for in times like these we truly need a Saviour n the lad could have prayed a prayer to Jesus for help in coping with this situation.You folks,forgive me but I also suspect that this lad might have seen the great grief n hurt that this episope was causing to his granny n he loves his granny so dearly that he was willing to sacrifice his life so that his granny would find peace n love.I suspect that this lad committed sucide so that his missing dad would be forced to return n so make his granny very happy.If so be the case then we will soon find out.Don’t u think?Son may the Lord God keep ur soul.To the remaining relatives I say please don’t stop the prayers n don’t let this lad’s deeds go to waste.R.I.P.
These words of comfort are just what a person who’s lost a loved one needs to hear, but they need to hear the truth also. No amount of prayers can guide this child to the Creator. It’s too late now. We should not wait until someone dies and then hope and pray that they have gone to be with God. We need to educate persons that with suicide there is no hope of eternity with God. Age, creed nor race does not matter.
My condolences goes out to his entire family and friends. May your heart be comforted.