A 16-year-old girl from Bugesera District has died by suicide after a disagreement with her family over the use of a mobile phone.
The incident occurred on July 4, 2026, in Rweru Sector. The teenager, who was a second-year secondary school student, had recently spent about a week staying with her older sibling.
According to family members, the girl had become heavily attached to using a mobile phone. Concerned that the device was becoming a distraction, her older sibling restricted her access to it, leading to an argument that eventually prompted the teenager to return to her parents’ home.
The disagreement continued after she returned home. Her older sibling later visited their mother in an attempt to resolve the conflict, but the discussion failed to restore peace. Their mother also admitted that she had previously confiscated the girl’s phone because she believed it was affecting her concentration.
Unable to accept the restrictions, the teenager reportedly left the house the following day carrying a drawstring from a hooded sweatshirt. Family members believed she was simply taking a walk nearby.
Her mother said she had no reason to suspect anything was wrong.
“She was grown up. I didn’t think I needed to follow her or ask where she was going because I believed she was just going nearby and would soon return.”
Later that evening, children returning from collecting grass for livestock reported seeing someone hanging from a tree. When family members rushed to the scene, they discovered it was the missing teenager.
Her mother described the devastating moment.
“They told me there was someone hanging from a tree, and that it was my daughter. When I got there, I found that she had taken her own life.”
The girl’s body was later taken to a hospital for a post-mortem examination.
If you or someone you know is showing signs of emotional distress or talking about suicide, seeking immediate support from trusted family members, community leaders, mental health professionals, or emergency services can make a critical difference.