A 13-year-old boy died on Sunday after bully at his school allegedly tricked him into eating cheese, a food he’s allergic to, according to his friends. Police are now treating the case as a homicide.
BBC News reports that Karan Cheema was in the middle of his morning classes at William Perkin C of E High School in Greenford, West London, when he became severely sick and began violently throwing up. Staff members rushed him to a local hospital, where he passed away two weeks later.
According to, Humaira Khan, a friend of Karan’s family, another student hid cheese in Karan’s lunchbox, knowing that he was allergic to the food.
“Karan was in primary school with my son and used to to go to football club and karate class with my son. He was a really good boy….There was a child who was bullying him all the time. He put cheese in his lunch….Karan had it and then had an allergic reaction.”
Stories from other students at the school, however, differed. While one student said that cheese was flickered at Karan, another student claimed it was stuffed down his shirt. A mother of one of the students said that the children were joking around, having a food fight, and it simply got out of hand.
Greenford boy arrested over Karan Cheema's allergy death: Karan Cheema, 13, became… https://t.co/irS2ieN2cx #news
— Elexonic (@Elexonic) July 11, 2017
Another student posted a comment on social media shortly after the incident. He wrote that two students willfully “shoved” the food down Karan’s throat.
“How can two idiots in my school stuff cheese down someone’s throat — knowing that they’re allergic to it, where’s the logic.”
The Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command arrested a 13-year-old teen in connection with Karan’s death. He’s since been released while awaiting his first hearing in late July.
Meanwhile, Dame Alice Hudson, the school’s executive head teacher, said that the school would review their requirements when carrying out medical procedures to help prevent something similar from happening in the future.
“Staff at the school reacted promptly to provide medical intervention and were well supported by the London Ambulance Service who attended the scene. The school has robust care plans in place for students with identified medical requirements and Karan’s care plan was promptly put in place. But in light of this tragic incident a review of the procedures will be carried out to ensure that the highest level of standards is maintained.”
[Feature Photo: Family Handout]
