Authorities in the village of Botamoynak, Zhambyl Region, are investigating the death of a 15-year-old schoolboy. According to his family, a 16-year-old acquaintance punched him in the chest, after which he lost consciousness and died, infohub.kz reports.

The tragedy occurred on the evening of October 2 at a football field where local young people gathered. The father of Miyatbek Yerseit said he ran there after receiving word that his son had been beaten.

"When I ran here, my child was lying right here. His head was thrown back like this. His body was still warm. I picked him up and tried to revive him. Then the ambulance arrived and they said, 'It's all over,'" the man said.

Relatives speak of hazing

The father of the deceased believes there is hazing among teenagers in the village. According to him, several children were beaten that evening. Villagers also told a TV channel that young people often gather at that spot and older ones allegedly "discipline" the younger ones. This version has not yet been officially confirmed.

"They beat everyone, one after another — those ones didn't fall. My son was standing last. He was quietly looking at his phone. He was a thin, tall and slender boy. When he fell from the punch, they thought he had just fainted. They tried to sit him up, to lift him. Then they carried him into the light, called an ambulance and ran away," the father said.

The Baizak District education department said everything happened outside school hours. After the schoolboy's death, preventive work with teenagers and parents was stepped up there.

The deceased and the suspected attacker knew each other and attended the same lyceum. Their families live next door. After the funeral, relatives of the second teenager and village elders came to Miyatbek's parents.

"They all asked for forgiveness. We forgave them. He's a good guy, we studied at the same school. Whenever he saw us, he would greet us. His father came to us and asked for forgiveness. We forgave them, what can you do now..." said the mother of the deceased, Aigul Abzaliyeva.

The 16-year-old suspect is currently in a pretrial detention center. Police are investigating a criminal case of intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm that led to death by negligence.