Taken from a very popularly read article
in the Independent newspaper in the UK of 3rd December 1998, which I
believe is appropriate for young people to read in 2012. It does not try to
judge, just report.
A
BRILLIANT schoolboy shot himself in the head after carefully calculating the
benefits of life and deciding it was not worth living, an inquest was told
yesterday.
Dario Iacoponi, 15, a
pupil at the London Oratory in Fulham, west London, which is attended by Tony
Blair's two sons, Euan, 14, and Nicky, 12, kept a diary of his philosophical
thoughts on life in the two months leading up to his death. The Oratory is one
of the top Roman Catholic schools in the country.
After
weighing up the pros and cons, he decided to commit suicide and planned it
meticulously. He taught himself to use his father's shotgun and worked out how
to fire it with a wooden spoon. He then waited until neither of his parents was
at home before carrying out the plan last month. Dr John Burton, the West
London Coroner, said it was clearly a considered process and Dario "came
down on the side of suicide". The inquest was told that the teenager was a
brilliant pupil who had already passed six GCSEs at A* or A grades a year
early. He played the violin and piano and was hoping to study law at Yale or
Harvard.
But
a darker side to his character emerged in diaries found by police. They spoke
of his difficulties in coping with life, although there was little, or no
mention, of any specific problem such as bullying. Dario, an only child, was found by a
20-year-old lodger at the family's home in Ealing, west London. He had a
shotgun by his side. His father, Pietro, a translator, was in Switzerland on
business, and his mother, Saleni, a teacher, was at an amateur dramatics class.
Inspector
Colin Nursey, who found five diaries covering the last year of Dario's life,
said there was a reference in them contemplating suicide. "He would not
leave a note, he was very specific about that," he said.
Neither
parent was in court, but Nadia Taylor, a family friend for the past 15 years,
told the inquest that Dario was "always a very sociable and very friendly
person". She added: "We are all very shocked. It all came as a
surprise to us that he felt this way." But Dr Burton said he could see no
other conclusion than that Dario had taken his own life. "He has made it
clear that he did so. That is the only verdict that I can return.
"He
was quite stoical about it. He did not fear death. He decided on balance that
life is not good and points out that the mathematics he has used are
indisputable."
Dario's
headmaster, John McIntosh, has said he was baffled and the school shocked.
"He was an extremely able boy and he got on well with other pupils and his
teachers and was extremely happy at school."
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