Boy, 11, found hanged after he complained of bullying ‘had been beaten up by sixth form students in the playground hours before his death’
Asad Khan had recently started a new school
COPS probing the suspected suicide of an 11-year-old boy amid claims he was being bullied at school are investigating evidence which suggests he was beaten up in the playground just hours before his death.
Asad Khan was found unresponsive in his bedroom last Wednesday afternoon.
The schoolboy was rushed to hospital where he later died.
Asad was found hanged in his bedroom, at home in Tile Street, Whetley Hill, Bradford, by his mother, Farheen Jan, soon after 4pm the same day, after telling her he wanted to change schools.
Detectives examining the reasons for the tragic hanging of Asad are sifting through huge amounts of information being provided by the public shocked by the schoolboy’s death.
They include a claim that he was assaulted by a group of Sixth Form boys at his school, Beckfoot Upper Heaton, Bradford, West Yorks, at lunchtime, on September 28.
Asad's aunt Rehana Bibi, 34, said: "Asad was was just a very good innocent child, he was so sweet and I just cannot believe he has gone like this, I mean this is obviously a case of bullying from school.
"The parents are so, so good themselves that it's hard for them to understand what bullying is at school.
"Because they are not like that themselves they would not ever think that.
"Because obviously the parents thought it is a new school, new teachers, its only been a week and a half and he needs to adjust.
"But I've heard there were 16/17 year old boys in the school and they are no good, and they used to be around him and bully him.
"The boy was scared. Because he was scared he did not even know what he was doing, he was too innocent to know.
"Maybe he just wanted a bit of attention, or he was fed up that day.
"I am so devastated by this.
"He didn't even really say openly I am getting bullied but one of the boys said he had seen seen him in school once, and that Asad was standing in the corner with tears in his eyes.
"The boy said he had wiped Asad's tears and asked what was wrong, and Asad had replied 'them boys'."
Bradford West MP Naz Shah met with Asad's grieving parents last week.
In a Facebook post at the time she said: "This evening 11-year-old Asad took his own life.
"Asad had just started his new school recently and bullying is something that has been mentioned."
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The MP had also met with the parents of a second boy killed in a road traffic accident.
She added: "Whilst many questions are being raised, and rightfully so, by both tragedies, and investigations are on going, one thing I know for sure is that both of these deaths shouldn't have happened.
"The pain etched in the faces of both sets of parents this evening is something no one should have to experience."
Former councillor Ishtiaq Ahmed wrote in a Facebook post: "My heartfelt sympathies go out to the family of an 11 year old boy from Manningham who committed suicide earlier today.
"He was reportedly being bullied at school, his mother found him hanged in his bedroom. I can't begin to imagine what his family must be going through. #prayers."
Detective Inspector Alan Flynn, of Bradford District CID, who is leading the investigation, said police were receiving a large amount of information from the public which would take time to process.
Det Insp Flynn said: “There is a lot of ongoing work to clarify what was going on in this young lad’s life prior to his death.
“We are looking for information from the community and we are setting up a specialist email address for the public so they can provide any information or evidence, including visual, that could assist us in understanding what has occurred.”
Det Insp Flynn said a post-mortem examination would be taking place to establish an exact cause of death.
He added: “We know this young lad was unfortunately found hanging by his family.
“There is nothing suspicious in the tragic death itself. Clearly we are trying to establish what he was feeling, and what was going on in his life before he died, for the sake of his family, and the coroner.”
“Clearly we are receiving reports that there may have been a bullying issue. I cannot corroborate that. If we receive information that he was being bullied, we will look into that.
“Bullying is not a criminal offence. But if there is criminal behaviour, like assault, we will look at it.”
A petition has been set-up in Asad's name called Bite Bullying in the Bud. It calls for lessons about the damage bullying can cause to be part of the curriculum and has received more than 15,000 signatures.
Beckfoot Upper Heaton School in West Yorkshire said pupils and staff were "united in grief" following the death of the Year 7 pupil.
A statement posted to its website said: "It is with great sadness that we learnt last night of the death of Asad Khan one of the school's newest students.
"The school is united in its grief at this sad time.
"The school community is working together as students, parents and staff come to terms with these events.
"All our thoughts are with Asad's family at this terribly difficult time."
It is believed Asad had only attended the school for three weeks.
If you need help contact Child Line on 0800 11 11 or the Samaritans on 116 123