Deathscapes

Hamed Shamshiripour 15d - Serial Deaths: Rajeev Rajendran

Deathscapes

Serial deaths: Rajeev Rajendran

A banner hung at a memorial service in the Manus Prison. A portrait of Rajeev Rajendran is drawn in the centre in between two candles. Two photos of Rajeev are attached to the banner. It reads "RIP We are all in the queue how many more you want kill?"[imagecaption] Vigil for Rajeev Rajendran, Manus Island RPC, 2017. At a memorial service in the Manus prison, a table is adorned with candles and red flowers. Photos of Rajeev Rajendran are placed on one side. At a memorial service for Rajeev Rajendran in the Manus Prison, men face toward the front where images are being projected onto a wall. Hamid Khazaei's photo is shown.Protest for Rajeev Rajendran, Manus Island RPC, 2017.The banner used at the memorial service for Rajeev Rajendran is held up during daily protests in the Manus prison.[/imagecaption]

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‘If he was offered appropriate health care and support he wouldn’t have to take his own life.’

Abdul Aziz

Less than two months after Hamed Shamshiripour was found dead near a school in Lorengau, the body of Rajeev Rajendran, a 32 year old Tamil man, was found on the grounds of the Lorengau hospital in a very similar position. He’d attempted suicide just days before his death. He was facing court proceedings after being charged with rape at the beginning of the year. People who knew him stated that he had been depressed and mentally unwell in the months leading to his death. Brigidine Nun, Jane Keogh, who visited Manus at the time of Rajeev’s death, observed how psychiatric care was completely unavailable on the island, leaving men in a position where they were desperately trying to keep their friends safe without any professional support. Suspicion around both deaths was fueled by the fact that other similar deaths in the local community had been reported just months before.


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This research was primarily supported under the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme.

Partial funding was received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Partnership Development Grants scheme.

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