Dinal De Alwis, a 16-year-old student excelling in sports and academics, tragically took his own life after being blackmailed for nude photographs. The young athlete, who had recently achieved top grades in his GCSEs and started sixth form with dreams of studying at Cambridge, was targeted on the messaging app Snapchat by someone from Nigeria.
According to reports, Dinal received two photos of himself and was threatened that they would be shared with his online followers unless he paid £100. Fearing for his safety, he left his home and recorded a brief video expressing his intent to end his life.
His father, Kaushallya De Alwis, expressed his profound grief, emphasizing that he didn't want any other family to endure what they had experienced. Recalling the night his son disappeared, he shared that Dinal had messaged him and his wife, expressing love for his family and instructing his brothers to take care of their parents.
Dinal, a student at Whitgift School in Croydon, had been excelling academically and was ranked at the top of his class in English and economics. However, after receiving the blackmail threats, his behavior changed, and he told his mother to leave him alone.
Despite the efforts of authorities, including the police and the National Crime Agency, the blackmailer could not be traced. It was revealed that the blackmailer had also targeted other victims.
Dinal's father spoke of his son's kindness, academic achievements, and love for sports, emphasizing that Dinal had been a caring and brave individual. He expressed regret that Dinal didn't confide in them and highlighted the dangers of online interactions, urging parents to be vigilant and aware of their children's online activities.
The coroner ruled Dinal's death as suicide, leaving his family and community devastated by the tragic loss.
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