16 year old commits suicide in Mwinilunga

A 16- year- old girl of Ndumba village in Kanyama chiefdom of Mwinilunga has committed suicide after being suspected of stealing from her mother. North-western Province Police Commissioner Joel Njase has confirmed the development and named the deceased as Agnes Katenga, a grade 10 pupil of Lunga Day Secondary School. Mr Njase said the deceased sister Alice Katenga reported that her sister took her life by hanging herself to a mango tree 10 meters away from their house, after she was suspected of stealing three new pairs of underwear belonging to her mother Lucy Kayombo. He said after being talked to over the matter, the girl got upset and sneaked out of the house, where it was later discovered that she took her own life. “A grade 10 pupil at Lunga day secondary school has committed suicide by hanging herself to a mango tree, 10 meters away from their house. The cause of death was that she was suspected of stealing three new underwear belonging to her mother Lucy Kayombo of the same abode,” he said. Mr Njase said the incident was reported to have occurred between 20:00 hours on 30th January 2021 and 06:00 hours on 31st January 2021. He said the police in the area visited the scene and inspected the body, and observed a protruded tongue and eyes. Mr Njase said the body of the deceased has since been deposited in Mwinilunga district hospital mortuary, awaiting burial as no foul play is suspected. Meanwhile, Mr Njase has observed that there is an urgent need to address emotional handling gaps among people in the communities. He said the challenge should be addressed by helping the youth especially to understand and accept that criticism is part of life. “We must address this challenge and ensure that our youths are able to withstand criticism and take it as part of life to make them better. However, this ability to handle emotional challenges comes with careful development of values, belief system, attitude and ultimate conduct,” he said. Mr Njase has since appealed to leaders, parents, health authorities, the department of social welfare and the church to look at brain science and cognitive disorders and spiritual engagement as part of a long term solution to the challenge