Cape Town - A bullied school girl who committed suicide could have been saved by paramedics – but she wasn’t regarded as a “priority”.
Family of 17-year-old Charne Roberts, from Tambo Village, says she was still alive after they took her down from where she hanged herself.
Her mother Magdalene said paramedics came running into their house, but when she asked where their equipment was, they said they didn’t have any because it was stolen.
A second ambulance was called, but by then the teen was already dead.
“She could still have been alive,” Magdalene said.
Charne killed herself on September 14, after being bullied at Silverstream High School in Manenberg.
Her sister Stacey, 16, said a clique of girls called Charne cruel names and accused her of sleeping around. They also beat her up.
Western Cape Government Health has now launched an investigation into why the Metro EMS ambulance was not adequately equipped.
However, Principal Communications Officer for Emergency Medical and Forensic Pathology Services, Robert Daniels, claims “no amount of equipment” could have saved the girl.
Robert said: “As mentioned before suicide is not considered an emergency. The patient was described as having a weak pulse when EMS received the call, but she was declared deceased six minutes later.
“An investigation will be conducted surrounding the alleged lack of equipment, but rest assured that no amount of equipment was medically going to change the outcome of this specific incident.”
A shocked Magdalene says she can’t believe government could be so uncaring: “Was Charne’s life not important enough to government?”
Daily Voice