11-year-old jumps off a bridge after two hours in school detention

An 11-year-old French schoolboy has taken his own life by jumping off a bridge near his school, after spending two hours in detention.

The lifeless body of the boy, whose name hasn't been released, was found by his devastated parents in the town of Beausoleil in France.

The boy had spent two hours in detention at Bellevue College after a teacher caught him using his mobile phone in class.

He then walked home from school with two friends but left them when they got on a bus, telling them he was going to kill himself and walked off on his own.

The youngster's concerned friends alerted their parents, who in turn told the boy's parents.

They rushed to where he was last seen and reportedly found their son underneath the bridge.

Public prosecutor Jean-Michel Pretre told local media the boy allegedly killed himself out of "fear".

"It all seemed to be related to the fear and panic he experienced after being reprimanded by a teacher for taking out or using his phone during class," he said.

Beausoleil mayor Gerard Spinelli, who's met with the grieving family, said counsellors have set up a psychological unit at the school to support students.

Police are investigating the incident.

Source: Magazine Features