A 16-year-old student of the New Amsterdam Multilateral School was fatally beaten yesterday during an outing at the Number 63 Beach with his friends in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity.

Vivian Singh Balrup

Vivian Singh Balrup sustained several hits to the back of his head from his attacker. He was rushed to the emergency unit of New Amsterdam Hospital with a gaping wound which bled profusely.

A female friend, Susan Hernandez was also attacked and sustained gashes on her forehead and other areas. Vivian’s relatives are baffled about why the attack was launched and while details are still sketchy, a cousin feels that he was attacked because he was mistaken for someone else.

A police source told this newspaper last night that investigations were still ongoing but that there were reports that there was a fight on the beach.

In tears, his mother, Nadira Singh Balrup told Stabroek News that Vivian was “peaceful and obedient and the best child ever.” She said he never had problems with anyone.

Arrangements were being made to have her son transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital “but he did not make it…”

Nadira recalled that the boy left home around 10 am with three of his friends and a cousin to go to the beach. Around 2:30 pm she received a call that he was hit on his head and was on his way to the hospital.

She arrived at the hospital along with other relatives about three quarters of an hour before her son got there in an unconscious state.

He was bleeding profusely from his wounds and received several stitches.
The woman said she returned home from holiday overseas about a week ago and the boy told her “mom don’t go back… and now I am here and he is not.”

Vivian who was preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination next year would have celebrated his 17th birthday on November 17.

His father, Kirpaul Singh Balrup said Vivian, who was in the Agriculture Science stream, intended to move on to the University of Guyana, Tain Campus to pursue a course in Computer Science.

He was the youngest of three and leaves to mourn his parents, brother Antonio, 21 and 19-year-old sister, Arlene.
Four persons were taken into custody for questioning and were released shortly after but they were summoned later to give a further statement.