‘Gifted and gentle’ private school boy, 16, killed himself after Nigerian scammers threatened to share nude photos from Snapchat
A PRIVATE schoolboy has committed suicide after Nigerian scammers threatened to share nude photos from Snapchat.
Dinal De Alwis, 16, was an A* student and had just started sixth grade when he disappeared from his parents’ home in October 2022.
3
3
The teenager, a keen footballer and rugby player, had been hoping to study economics at Cambridge.
But days after a family holiday Mallorca, he was contacted via Snapchat of a person believed to be from Nigeria.
Dinal received two photos of himself and was told these would be sent to “all his online followers” unless he paid the person £100.
The ‘golden boy’ student ate dinner with his family as usual on the evening of his death, but left the parental home in Sutton, South London, around 2am.
Dinal, who assumed the photos had already been shared online, then recorded a short video before killing himself.
His body was found just over an hour later after he fell to his death, and the tragic incident was captured on CCTV.
Dinal’s father Kausallya narrated it Daily email: “He messaged my wife and me to say he loved us, and he told his two brothers that he loves them, and told them to ‘take care of mom and dad.’”
An inquest into his death on South London Coroner’s Court heard how Dinal had been a pupil at the prestigious £48,000-a-year Whitgift School in Croydon.
After straight A* grades in his GCSEs, having also been top of the school in English and economics, Dinal attended an open day in Cambridge with ambitions to study at university after university.
But his family noticed he seemed out of character a few days after their trip to Mallorca, telling his mother to “just leave me alone”.
It subsequently emerged that he had been approached by an extortionist, who had sent him two nude photos at 1am.
The inquest heard they told Dinal: ‘So you think blocking me will stop me?
“What do you want me to do? Do you want me to send a message to all your followers? Why can’t you just pay me? £100?”
Dinal responded to the message and indicated that he believed the images had already been shared.
The teenager left his home around 2am before recording himself walking down a street.
In the video, addressed to his parents and siblings, he said he planned to commit suicide.
Police and the National Crime Agency have since told the family they have been unable to trace the blackmailer.
However, it is believed they believe he is operating from Nigeria.
Kaushallya told his son’s inquest that he was “the most caring son” and “did not show any form of unhappiness”.
He believes Dinal “wanted to avoid any shame” and described his tragic death as “the greatest possible loss”.
Kaushallya said he believes a girl took the photos of his son before they ended up in the hands of the blackmailer.
But he also explained that he is aware that blackmailers will pose as attractive women online and demand nude photos before demanding money not to post them online.
The coroner ruled Dinal’s death a suicide.
If you are experiencing any of the issues discussed in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
3