Schoolboy hacker kills himself

A 13-year-old American schoolboy has hung himself just hours after being suspended for hacking into his New Jersey school district's computer system.

Shinjan Majumder, the son of Indian immigrants in West Windsor, was suspended for hacking on 4 May, according to his father, although the school district would not confirm details of why the boy had been suspended.

Jayanta Majumder, Shinjan's father, said Shinjan was told his hacking activities were a crime and could send him to prison if he were an adult, according to the Times of Trenton, New Jersey. Shinjan hung himself later that day while his parents were away, leaving a note saying he would rather die than go to prison, according to Rita Majumder, Shinjan's mother.

Law enforcers have begun to consider hacking and virus-writing as serious crimes as they have become more widespread. High-profile cases have included the trial of hacker Kevin Mitnick and the hunt for the creators of viruses like Love Bug and Kournikova.