In a somber turn of events, a Mutasa magistrate has ruled out foul play in the untimely death of Livingstone Sunhwa, a Form Four student at St Mathias High School.
The court’s conclusion indicates that Livingstone took his own life, bringing an investigation and inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his tragic demise.
Livingstone’s mysterious disappearance from the school premises on December 16, 2021, sent shockwaves through the community. His sister, who also attended St Mathias High School, alleged witnessing her brother being assaulted by the police before he vanished.
These disturbing allegations prompted further scrutiny and raised concerns about the events leading up to Livingstone’s untimely death.
After careful consideration of the evidence, presiding magistrate Mr Artwell Sanyatwe ruled that suicide by hanging was the likely cause of Livingstone’s death.
“A piece of cloth was found hanging from a tree, which matched a broken piece of cloth found among human remains or bones. Tests were conducted to establish whether these were Livingstone’s . Their evidence was corroborated by expert tests and analysis, although the cause of death could not be ascertained.
“With that in mind, the only logical conclusion that may be drawn is that the cause of death was due to suicide by hanging,” he stated.
The presented evidence suggested that Livingstone exhibited signs of truancy, which may have played a contributing role in his tragic demise. The court concluded that Livingstone’s decision to end his own life could be attributed to the embarrassment of his arrest and potential fear of further repercussions.
“There is no doubt that Livingstone exhibited signs of truancy, which in my view contributed to his demise in this instance. He either could not stand the embarrassing conduct of being arrested at the school in full view of his peers or feared the worst, hence his decision to take his own life,”he stated.
