Belgium Confronts a Rise in Suicide Among Under-15s

Specialists in Belgium are reporting a growing number of suicide attempts among children under the age of 15, a trend highlighted on World Suicide Prevention Day by the story of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life nearly five years ago. According to RTBF, the case of Lucie, from the Namur region, has become a rallying point for her parents’ campaign to break the taboo around child suicide.

Lucie died on 18 November 2021. She had written a farewell letter to her parents describing years of suffering in which she used the word “depression” to describe her state. Her last written words were: “Finally I’m dead, I couldn’t take this pain any longer.”

A Death in Four Among 15-24 Year Olds

The scale of the problem is stark. According to figures from Sciensano, Belgium’s public health institute, cited by the Centre de Prevention du Suicide, there were 1,732 completed suicides in Belgium in 2020. Suicide is the leading cause of death among young people, and within the 15-24 age bracket, more than one death in four is attributable to suicide.

What worries practitioners most is the age at which children are now being affected. “But we also see more and more suicide attempts among children under 15,” said Florence Ringlet, therapeutic director at SOS Suicide, in comments reported by RTBF. “And it is not necessarily linked to a mental health problem. Some children who have attempted suicide cannot explain the reasons for their act themselves. They acted impulsively.”

Ringlet stressed that suicide is multifactorial, including among children. Specialists also describe what they call the “smiling mask” - the capacity of children, much like actors, to conceal their inner suffering, often to protect their parents.

The Role of Online Content

Lucie’s parents, Nadege Bodart and Jean-Louis Tasiaux, have been careful to stress that bullying was not the cause of their daughter’s death. Her letter described a long-standing malaise that predated the mobile phone she had owned for only three months.

Yet the couple have raised questions about the role of online platforms. They discovered after her death that their daughter used her phone at night via the household wi-fi. “Her last connection, the night she took her own life, was a YouTube video explaining how to tie a noose,” Bodart told RTBF. “How is that possible?”

The parents’ account points to a wider debate about how self-harm and suicide-related content is moderated, and how quickly children can encounter it.

Turning Grief Into Advocacy

To give meaning to Lucie’s death, her parents have become public advocates. “You have to dare to talk about it,” they said. They are behind an immersive artwork unveiled on 10 September - World Suicide Prevention Day - at Place de l’Ange in Namur. The piece was created by a young artist who herself lives with a mental health condition, and is intended, according to SOS Suicide, as “a medium to make visible a suffering that is not always visible, to challenge and open dialogue.”

The work will travel to Liege from 14 September to 5 October before continuing from city to city.

The day’s events in Belgium extended beyond Namur. Brussels Town Hall was illuminated, and a conference was held at Saint-Luc hospital. Brussels minister Karine Lalieux has announced a suicide-prevention action plan for the capital region, following reporting that Belgium does not systematically count suicide attempts or guarantee continuity of care after a suicidal crisis.

A Fragmented Response

Belgium’s prevention systems are split between federal and regional authorities, a fragmentation advocates cite as a persistent challenge. Flanders has had a dedicated Suicide Prevention Action Plan, targeting a 10% reduction in suicides between 2020 and 2030. Brussels is now developing its own plan, while Wallonia is integrating suicide prevention into its strategic mental health plan.

Official data may also understate the problem. The Centre de Prevention du Suicide warns that available numbers likely underestimate the true figure because some deaths are disguised as accidents or go unreported by families. The centre also notes a 15% increase in calls from young people since 2020, with some callers as young as 10.

What to Watch

Belgium’s response now hinges on whether regional plans translate into consistent, funded services - and on whether families and schools can recognise the distress that children are so skilled at hiding. For Lucie’s parents, that recognition begins with conversation. “You have to dare to talk about it,” they said.

In Belgium, the Centre de prevention du suicide can be reached on 0800 32 123, and SOS suicide on 0800 777 40. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available.