The devastated mother of a 13-year-old Queensland boy has said her son took his own life because he was bullied relentlessly about being gay.
Tyrone Unsworth, who died on Monday, had been the picked on since year five and his heartbroken mother, Amanda Unsworth, says as the years went on her son’s tormentors had gotten more malicious.
“Tyrone ended up being gay and a lot of people started picking on him,” his mother, Amanda Unsworth, told The Courier Mail.
“He was a really feminine male, he loved fashion, he loved make-up and the boys always picked on him, calling him gay-boy, faggot, fairy.”
Aspley State High School says they weren’t aware of the incident which saw Tyrone Hospitalised. PHOTO: Google Street View.
Tyrone’s death comes just one month after his mother says he was physically attacked outside of school grounds with a fence paling. The incident saw Tyrone admitted to hospital for surgery on his face.
Following her son’s surgery Ms Unsworth said she had not gone to Aspley State High School, where Tyrone attended, to let the school know about her concerns but Queensland Police said they were investigating the incident.
Tyrone’s grandmother, Twiggy Jones, told the newspaper her once “happy-go-lucky” grandson’s stint in hospital meant he feared going back to school.
“When he came out of hospital he was a different boy … he just kept telling us all ‘I don’t want to go to school, I don’t want to end up back at hospital’,” she said.
Aspley State High School principal Jacquita Miller confirmed the school was unaware of the incident but she expressed her condolences to the family.
“We are really sympathetic with the family, and his loved ones and peers,” Ms Miller told the newspaper.
“We had no reports to the school of the bullying, we really try to work with families to resolve these complex issues. I’m just so sorry and sad that we didn’t have the opportunity to help this young man.”
