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Original poster

Did anything really tragic happen at your school?

302 replies

TattiePants · 23/05/2022 21:11

I’ve spent today thinking about a murder that happened when I was at school over 30 years ago. I think it’s on my mind partly because it happened when I was sitting my GCSEs and DS is doing his now but also it’s been in the local news that another loosely connected child murder may finally be solved.

A boy from year 3 went missing and he was found murdered in a nearby derelict house. In the year prior to that, two other children had been killed in tragic circumstances so it was a really horrible time for the school community. Things got worse when a year 5 boy was arrested for the murder and spent months in custody, missing all his GCSEs. Many of us then had to give witness statements as we knew the arrested boy well. It took over 20 years for the actual murderer to be convicted and unfortunately he’d gone on to murder more boys from my school by then.

In all the years my DCs and friend’s DCs have been at school, they’ve (thankfully) never had anything like this. There’s been fights, teenage pregnancies, minor drug offences etc but nothing on this scale. Did anyone else have something really tragic happen when they were at school.

OP posts:
Fantina · 23/05/2022 21:13

Not while we were at school but it was pretty standard for a number of years for teenage boys we went to school with to be driving cars just after passing their tests that either killed themselves/passengers/others. Our school was rural so they’d race around the roads thinking they were invincible.

Rrrunrunrunrunrun · 23/05/2022 21:14

Yes. A family with 2 children at the school were murdered.

Sunquench · 23/05/2022 21:14

My female friend was stabbed to death whilst we were both in year 11 by her girlfriend.

3 boys died in the same car joy riding on the way to the seaside (year 10).

I have a son in year 7 so I guess there’s still time.

Original poster
TattiePants · 23/05/2022 21:15

@Fantina having a currently 15 year old and thinking about him driving next year is terrifying.

OP posts:
HobnobsChoice · 23/05/2022 21:16

Nothing at my school thankfully but some of the schools I deal with now are absolutely riven by gang related violence. In the last 2 years so many teen boys murdered by other teens. The city's teenage landscape is being torn apart by it. I worry so much about some of the kids

NumberCurtains · 23/05/2022 21:16

Yes, there were a number of tragic hings I can think of off of the top of my head - some involving quite shocking sexual abuse, some involving the death of kids. I won't go into particulars though because they are all very specific tragedies. I think part of it is because I grew up in such a rough area.

Ducksurprise · 23/05/2022 21:16

Another that lost male friends to car accidents. The worst being the two elder brothers of my best friend. Also rural, sadly not unusual to lose two or more in a crash.

Windywuss · 23/05/2022 21:17

A girl got pregnant and killed herself by trying to bring on a miscarriage.

A boy killed himself sniffing aerosol

Another boy died from cancer.

All aged 14-15.

TheVanguardSix · 23/05/2022 21:18

My two friends were murdered after school on a play date. I can't even write about it. I have to be in the place to talk/write about it. It was nearly 40 years ago.

ShirleyPhallus · 23/05/2022 21:18

Yes, a few awful accidents involving teenage boys - car accident, bike accident, falls from heights etc.

A few children in my primary school died of cancer too. I still think of them. Awful.

Heresafe · 23/05/2022 21:18

One of my friends was killed in a car crash when I was at early primary stage. I still remember he used to make me laugh and was very cheerful and tickled me in a nice way on the stairs; and I remember a sad service at the school but not much else. I only know his first name .

MrsPerfect12 · 23/05/2022 21:18

A girl in my year and in some of my classes was found dead in the toilets. She had taken an overdose and was found by a 1st year. We weren't friends but I do think of her often.

Itsbackagain · 23/05/2022 21:19

Oh my goodness why would you even wonder such a thing? Every year we remember our friends and loved ones in Dunblane. Awful to think it's a gore fest for some. Shame on you.

crochetcrazy1978 · 23/05/2022 21:19

Girl in my year at primary school was killed age 6. She roller skated out between 2 parked cars near the school and got hit by a car

MarmiteCoriander · 23/05/2022 21:19

Nothing as tragic as a murder- no. How awful and scary for the rest of the school!

At high school, a girl in the year above me died of cancer about age 14/15. I only vaguely recall her, as I assume she was off school a great deal in the final year. The school made a 'Jane Doe' award in her honour for a compassionate and some other academic reason individual. I was the first to win this award! I felt a mix of sadness that this girl had died, but also honoured to win the award. It was strangely bitter sweet though.

Also whilst at high school, I'd heard of a boy I'd gone to primary school with, had died in a car crash when his friend was speeding.

SockQueen · 23/05/2022 21:19

Not that I was aware of at school, but two people died by suicide in my year at med school, and one in the year below.

RightOnTheEdge · 23/05/2022 21:19

When I was 9/10 so over 30 years ago, a 10yr old girl in my primary school was raped and murdered.
Her body was found in some trees over the road from my house.
I still think about her now.

Original poster
TattiePants · 23/05/2022 21:20

@HobnobsChoice It really is terrifying now. I don’t know if there was less really serious teenage violence 30 years ago or whether it was just because we didn’t have 24 hour rolling news but it seems so much worse now.

OP posts:
LadyLothbrook · 23/05/2022 21:20

Yes. A girl drowned on a year 9 school trip to France. The French teacher was up for manslaughter, he lost his job and turned into a alcoholic. The whole thing was tragic.

ElenaSt · 23/05/2022 21:20

Yes, my very close friend murdered his 16 year old girlfriend by stabbing her to death.

Up to the point of his horrific crime he was the loveliest non violent boy you could ever meet.

This was in the early 1980s and he served 14 years in prison and was released circa 1997 and has gone on to have a family of his own. His own daughter now older than the girl he murdered.

He is now a well liked member of society with wife, children, job and does stuff for charity etc.

I am not in contact with him.

CarParkHell · 23/05/2022 21:21

Infant school teacher was murdered.

TibetanTerrah · 23/05/2022 21:21

A girl in a couple of years above me died in a car accident, just veered off the road, they think leaning down for something. I didn't know her but was in the same class in primary school as her sister. She was a straight A student with a really bright future, all gone because of a stupid mistake Sad

DinasCopUniform · 23/05/2022 21:22

This happened at my secondary school and involved lots of people I knew. It was horrific. Kate Adie was at our school for days.

apnews.com/article/edc55e3df137b732ce3b104740e5ae5a

Rekorderlig88 · 23/05/2022 21:22

Boys in car crashes all too often late 80s early 90s

Essexgirlupnorth · 23/05/2022 21:22

Not while we were at school but a girl a year or so below me went missing one Christmas and was found murdered shortly afterwards when I was in my early 20s. She had a twin so most people in my school knew who she was. It was very sad.

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