12-year-old dies after clubbed in head by schoolmate

A 12-year-old boy died on Wednesday, one day after a schoolmate struck him on the head with a piece of wood.

Rayaaz Esahack, who attended the La Grange Comprehensive College , was clubbed during a scuffle with the other child who is also 12 years old.

The dead boy's father Tahid Esahack and another relative said Rayaaz had called the other boy a nickname and a fiery confrontation ensued.

Relatives said they were told that the other boy eventually grabbed a piece of wood which was lying nearby and hit Rayaaz on the head.

Teachers then reportedly took the student to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where nurses cleaned and stitched the wound on his head.

Tahid Esahack said the teachers told him no doctor was at the hospital to examine the boy. Instead, he was treated by nurses who dressed and stitched the wound on his head.

The child then had to walk a long distance to catch a minibus after leaving the hospital.

Relatives are claiming that they were not contacted by the college, even though the family had given three telephone numbers.

The family reportedly became aware of the incident when an older brother, Sayeed Esahack, who operates a stall close to the hospital, saw Rayaaz with his teachers shortly after treatment had been administered. It was this brother who also saw Rayaaz walking the long distance for transportation after leaving the hospital in the company of his teachers.

Sayeed Eshack said he found out from the teachers what had happened with his brother and called his parents.

Meanwhile, the teachers took Rayaaz back to the school and his parents subsequently picked him up.

They later reported the matter at the La Grange Police Station.

Relatives said the child was vomiting and having convulsions when he arrived home.

Thinking that Rayaaz may have been experiencing the aftereffects of the medication he had received at the hospital, his family placed him on a mattress to lie down.

However, Rayaaz began screaming and thrashing about in obvious pain.

Sayeed Esahack said that at around 23:00hrs that night the boy's eyes rolled up and his entire body stiffened.

He was immediately rushed him to the St Joseph 's Mercy Hospital in Georgetown where he was admitted.

There it was reportedly found that he was bleeding in the head which had swollen considerably by then. Relatives said the boy received a head scan the following morning and was taken into the theatre for surgery shortly after.

However, his heart rate diminished considerably while still in surgery, forcing doctors to place him on life support until the conclusion of the operation.

One visiting overseas relative said that the boy was later transferred by ambulance to the Woodlands Hospital where he was again placed on life support due to his rapidly waning condition.

Grieving relatives told this newspaper that doctors at that hospital called them sometime later to inform them that the child may not live since his skull had been severely fractured.

Relatives said when they visited Rayaaz at Woodlands Hospital he was bleeding from the nose and ears.

He eventually succumbed at around 15:00hrs on Thursday.

The boy's father said that a post mortem revealed that he had died as a result of brain haemorrhaging and a fractured skull.

Efforts to solicit a comment from the private college or from the parents of the other student yesterday proved futile.

Kaieteur News understands that the suspect is in custody.

Saturday May 20, 2006

Death of 12-year-old schoolboy

Victim died from respiratory failure

- autopsy

The 12-year-old suspect in the clubbing death of schoolboy Rayaaz Esahack was still in custody yesterday as police continued their investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The victim's relatives had said on Friday that a post mortem revealed that the child succumbed from a fractured skull and brain haemorrhage.

However, police sources told Kaieteur News that a pathologist stated that Esahack had died from respiratory failure.

According to the sources, the pathologist also found no evidence that the victim had suffered a fractured skull, although a physician who had examined Esahack when he was alive had reportedly stated that there was evidence of a fracture.

Police sources say they will have to get further statements from the doctors who examined the slain schoolboy.

They will also seek legal advice to ascertain whether the 12-year-old alleged assailant can be charged.

Esahack, who was a student of the La Grange Comprehensive College , was reportedly clubbed in the head with a piece of wood by another student during an altercation.

Relatives had related that a heated argument had erupted between the two students after Esahack had called the other a nickname.

The injured boy was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was reportedly examined and sent away.

However, Esahack began vomiting and convulsing and relatives took him to the Mercy Hospital after his condition worsened.

He was admitted but died the next day.

Monday 10-16-2006