Ten-year-old UP boy carries mother’s body alone for autopsy after family faces HIV stigma

A 10-year-old boy was all alone during his mother's last rites due to HIV stigma in the UP village.

A 10-year-old boy in Uttar Pradesh was left to handle the aftermath of his mother’s death alone after villagers distanced themselves from the family due to fear and stigma linked to HIV, reported The Times of India.

According to the report, the incident took place in Etah district, where the woman, aged 52, died while undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and HIV at a government medical college. As the woman was undergoing treatment without the assistance of any relative or neighbour, the child was found sitting beside his mother’s body, unsure of the next steps.

Local residents eventually alerted the police and Jaithra station house officer Ritesh Kumar told the publication that officers were immediately dispatched after receiving information that a minor was alone with the body. “When we were told that a child had no one with him, I sent a sub-inspector and a constable to the hospital. Since there was no family support, we ensured that the post-mortem formalities and her last rites were carried out,” he is quoted as a saying.

Officials said the family had been increasingly isolated since the boy’s father died last year after being diagnosed with HIV. The social boycott, they said, left the child without any adult support when the woman passed away.

District health authorities confirmed the case and said the woman had previously completed treatment for tuberculosis several years ago. Etah chief medical officer Dr Rajendra Prasad said she had been declared cured and discharged in 2017. “At that time, she was provided all benefits and assistance available under government schemes,” he said, adding that the health department is now reassessing the family’s current situation.

After police intervention, the woman’s body was sent for autopsy and later cremated with administrative assistance once distant relatives were contacted. Authorities are now working to determine long-term care arrangements for the woman’s two children, including her 16-year-old daughter.