NETHERLANDS: Libyan plane crash survivor's school says will help Ruben cope with the loss of his close family

Record ID: 382104

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: Libyan plane crash survivor's school says will help Ruben cope with the loss of his close family
  • Date: 15th May 2010
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF CHILDREN AND PARENTS ENTERING THE SCHOOL (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch), ELLY SEEBREGTS, HEAD OF SCHOOL, SAYING: "We had a dignified meeting today for all the kids and all the parents and I think almost everyone has come, and you could see kids were shocked by the news of this week, but I think this meeting was a good place to share their sorrow." SEEBREGTS TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch), ELLY SEEBREGTS, HEAD OF SCHOOL, SAYING: "We don't have a plan yet for what will happen when Ruben comes back to school, we also don't know exactly how that process will go, we are hoping he will come back soon and I can say that as a team of kids and parents, we will take care of him well and we will also organise professional help for him to be able to cope with this intense sorrow."
  • Embargoed: 30th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Netherlands
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA1KZCF8B31H3NQM1RMI0C1UL0W
  • Story Text: It is not clear where Ruben will go to school when he comes back. The 9-year-old Dutch boy was the only one to survive the plane crash in Tripoli which killed 103 people on board. Everyone else who lived in his Tilburg home died in the accident - his parents, Trudy and Patrick van Assouw and his brother, Enzo.
    His aunt and uncle will be travelling back with him from Tripoli on Saturday (May 15) morning and are expected to go straight to hospital to care for his leg fractures and the shock.
    But the headteacher as his Tilburg school, 100 metres from his empty family home, says she can't wait for him to come back and that everything will be done to care for him when he does.
    On Friday (May 14) teachers at the school, the Obsyore, organised a special meeting for his classmates, school friends and their parents to show their support and help the children work through this difficult moment.
    Obsyore's headteacher says the children seemed to be coping well given the circumstances, partly because death is a difficult concept at that age.
    "We don't have a plan yet for what will happen when Ruben comes back to school, we also don't know exactly how that process will go, we are hoping he will come back soon and I can say that as a team of kids and parents, we will take care of him well and we will also organise professional help for him to be able to cope with this intense sorrow," headteacher Elly Seebregts said.
    The Foreign Ministry on Friday asked the media to stay away and to respect the privacy of the young boy and his family.
    Ruben had been on his way back from a safari holiday in South Africa. A 12 and and half year wedding anniversary treat.
    Ruben's family travel blog has turned into a condolence register, with dozens offering sympathy to the nine-year-old boy orphaned by the crash.
    The blog, run by his father Patrick at http://onsgaanopvakansie.blogspot.com has been inundated with messages.
    "With horror, incomprehension and deep grief, we gradually realise that this weblog will be the last fresh memory," a person called Eelco posted on the Dutch language blog on May 12.
    A total of 70 Dutch citizens died in the crash more than the previous toll of 58 provided by the airline.
    Afriqiyah Airways said late on Wednesday that 6 South Africans, 2 Libyans, 2 Austrians, 1 German, 1 Zimbabwean, 1 French, and 2 British nationals were also on board.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register