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A teenage “Romeo and Juliet” couple have jumped to their deaths from a 14-storey building after making a suicide pact.
The bodies of 18-year-old Roman Shingarkin and a young woman identified as Aleksandra Solovyova were found next to a block of flats in Moscow, Russia on 18 August.
According to local media the teens had planned their deaths and left suicide notes on social media.
On the day they jumped both Roman and Aleksandra changed their profile pictures to a Lego ensemble showing two bodies and the word “suicide”.
“Dying for someone you love, someone you have a connection with and can relate to, is a lot easier to do,” Aleksandra wrote. “It’s hard for me to imagine that things could be different, I’m leaving while loving.”
“I can’t explain my concerns to people, they simply won’t get it,” Romeo wrote. “Even if they did, they won’t be able to help. What’s the reason for suicide? I simply turned out to be a very sad person.”
For the first time since the death of his son Roman’s father, Maksim Shingarkin – a former politician who represented Russia’s Liberal Democratic Party from 2011 to 2016 – has opened up about the tragic incident.
“My son never tried committing suicide before and didn’t do drugs,” he said. “This summer he started university and planned to become an ecologist.”
One of Roman’s friends, who wants to stay anonymous, claims the reason for his suicide might have been his father’s disapproval of his girlfriend.
Russian psychiatrist Mikhail Vinogradov believes both teens were crying out for attention but weren’t being heard.
“It’s possible they hoped someone would convince them of a better way. It appears as though both of them had misunderstandings with their parents,” Dr Vinogradov said.
“They were told they needed to study and earn money, but the teenagers wanted to live differently.”
Source: Magazine Features
