Jun 01, 2024 08:06 PM IST
Sammy Teusch, a 10-year-old Indiana boy, suffered relentless bullying leading to his suicide. Cops confirm bullying but find no grounds for criminal charges.
Sammy Teusch was a boy only ten years old who suffered harassment both in school and out of school before he was forced to commit suicide early this month, as was confirmed by the police on Friday. Hence, while recognizing that bullying had been a problem at the victim’s school, police have declined to press charges in relation to his suicide.
![Indiana boy Sammy Teusch, 10, kills himself after relentless bullying at school (GoFundMe) Indiana boy Sammy Teusch, 10, kills himself after relentless bullying at school (GoFundMe)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/06/01/550x309/Sammy_1715823458101_1717252083052.webp)
The 10-year-old Indiana native died on May 5 from “asphyxiation by strangulation, suicide,” according to the Hancock County Coroner.
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Officials have admitted that Sammy experienced “some bullying,” as his parents have insisted, but concluded that there is insufficient evidence to warrant any criminal charges.
“At the very beginning, everybody started saying this was bullying, this was a result of bullying, and I say this with a heavy heart, unfortunately, we do not know the cause of this,” Greenfield Police Chief Brian Hartman stated on Friday.
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“There was no note or no text messages. Sammy didn’t say why he felt he had to do this.”
Investigation finds bullying in Sammy Teusch’s case
Following a four-week investigation, police determined that Sammy had been targeted both at Greenfield Intermediate School and outside of it.
However, his family reported that at least two bullying incidents occurred on school property, specifically in the cafeteria and on the bus.
“We believe he encountered some rough times at school from other kids,” Hartman confirmed.
“I do have statements and facts to back that up. There were also things that happened outside of school … There has probably been an accumulation of things having happened in this child’s life that led up to that traumatic decision he made that day.”
The school was not found negligent in Sammy’s death because administrators had addressed the incidents, including giving one of the alleged bullies “a one day in school and a one day out of school suspension,” according to the police chief.
This finding contradicts the claims made by Sammy’s parents, who stated that they had complained to the school about the bullying roughly 20 times since it began last year when Sammy was in elementary school. The bullying started with taunts about his glasses and teeth and quickly escalated to violence, they said, alleging that the school never adequately addressed their concerns.
The bullying continued up until the moment Sammy decided to take his own life, his parents claim. The 10-year-old was found dead in his bedroom by his 13-year-old brother Xander, per report.
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Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin released a statement on Friday saying that the police findings “are consistent with the information gleaned from Greenfield-Central’s internal investigation.”
“Greenfield-Central takes all bullying concerns very seriously. We have provided and will continue to provide a safe environment for students in our schools.”