Schoolboy Kills Classmate With Sickle For Body-Shaming, Bullying Him

A 17-year-old schoolboy has been accused of killing his classmate with a sickle, in a fit of rage, fed up with the victim constantly body-shaming, bullying, and inappropriately touching him. The incident reportedly happened in Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, India on Saturday, May 14.

The teens, both studied in 12th grade, were reportedly good friends before the violent altercation. However, the victim allegedly began frequently body-shaming the accused, even verbally abusing his family and inappropriately touching him.

Even though the teen suspect complained to school management about the relentless bullying, the harassment continued. On Saturday, May. 14, the young assailant allegedly took the victim out on a ride on his two-wheeler. They then bought food.

However, while his friend was eating, the accused allegedly fetched a sickle that he had hidden in his vehicle and struck his friend in the neck from behind. He reportedly proceeded to stab his friend several more times to make sure the victim was dead, the Times Of India reported.

The teen suspect was immediately taken into custody by the authorities after the brutal attack. He was later produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and was sent to an observation home.

Sub-inspector Sivachandran said that the accused has admitted to having murdered his friend.

“Bullying and body-shaming drove him to the murder,” he explained.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a 13-year-old schoolboy was reportedly brutally stabbed to death by a fellow schoolmate on July 19, 2021, in the school's bathroom using an axe the student allegedly ordered online in Singapore, Latin Times reported.

The suspect has been identified as a 16-year-old student of River Valley High School. The other schoolmates reported seeing him holding an axe and standing by a drinking fountain, cleaning blood from his body and saying: “I just killed someone.”

Police officials rushed to the school after receiving information about the incident at about 11:40 a.m. and found the 13-year-old victim lying motionless with multiple wounds in a toilet stall.

The student was later pronounced dead at the scene of the crime. The axe used in the crime was subsequent;y seized by the police from the underage suspect as evidence.

On July 20, 2021, the 16-year-old suspect was charged with murder at a court hearing. In Singapore, the charge could result in the death penalty. However, as he is a minor, he faces possible life imprisonment instead.

The preliminary investigations suggest that the accused had bought the axe online, K Shanmugam, Singapore’s law and home affairs minister said.