[Shaun]

A grief-stricken father hanged himself after leaving a final farewell message to friends and family on Facebook, an inquest has been told.

Roger Crouch, 55, was discovered hanged by his wife Paola at their home near Winchcombe on 28 November.

He began an anti-bullying campaign after his son Dominic's suicide over rumours he may have been gay.

Mr Crouch wrote on Facebook "Au Revoir, so long - or maybe A Bientot" before taking his own life in his garage.

"The former Gloucestershire County Council director of children's services and Stow-on-the-Wold town clerk was overcome with grief at the suicide of his 15-year-old son Dominic 18 months earlier," the inquest in Gloucester was told.

The court was told Mrs Crouch alerted neighbours who attempted to resuscitate him, but paramedics declared Mr Crouch dead.

She said in a statement read to the court that her husband had continued to suffer mood swings and bouts of depression over Dominic's death.

"There was a lot of death in his life," she said.

On hearing evidence from psychiatrists that her husband had been "overcome by grief", Mrs Crouch added: "I think it's what you might call in an old fashioned way, a broken heart."

Recording his verdict at Gloucester Coroner's Court, assistant coroner David Dooley said: "Clearly he was very taken up with campaigning for his son and others he felt may have been subjected to bullying.

"But he was eventually overwhelmed by grief for his son. On the evidence I feel I can be sure of his settled intent to take his own life," Mr Dooley added.

Mr Crouch's son died when he jumped off a building near his school, St Edwards in Charlton Kings, in May 2010.

Mr Crouch was previously named as a hero of the year by Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, for his work.

[Benjamin]

I read that this morning on the BBC site.

[Niamh.]

Must be so hard to carry on after losing a child, poor guy. I feel for his wife though.

[Kazanne]

That is so very sad,I think a lot of people who lose a child feel like that,but most don't carry it out,i hope he is now at peace with his boy.

[Benjamin]

I feel sorry for the poor mother. First her son, then her husband.

[Kizzy]

It is hard for a parent to try to comprehend how it must feel to experience that...

[lostalex]

They say losing a child is the worst pain any human can experience.

Maybe he didn't want his son to be alone after feeling so alone on this earth. I hope in some better universe they are together again. R.I.P. both of them.

[Glenn.]

I feel for his poor wife.

I disagree completely with suicide and feel there is no excuse whatsoever for taking your own life. It's selfish regardless of the circumstances.

It's the wife that has to go through the pain and loss of losing not only her child but now the husband too.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Glenn

I feel for his poor wife.

I disagree completely with suicide and feel there is no excuse whatsoever for taking your own life. It's selfish regardless of the circumstances.

It's the wife that has to go through the pain and loss of losing not only her child but now the husband too.

That's a very heartless statement to make imo

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by kizzy

It is hard for a parent to try to comprehend how it must feel to experience that...

I think it's hard for anyone to comprehend how it must feel.

[lostalex]

This kind of thing can actually drive quite a wedge between a husband and wife, as men and women tend to grieve in very different ways. But i also have a huge amount of sympathy for this mother/wife.

I agree with everyone saying it's impossible for us to understand though. SO i don't think there is anything to discuss about it.

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

That's a very heartless statement to make imo

Heartless but true. He wasn't thinking about his wife when he killed himself. Just like many others who kill themselves. They don't think about the people they leave behind.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Heartless but true. He wasn't thinking about his wife when he killed himself. Just like many others who kill themselves. They don't think about the people they leave behind.

Perhaps his pain was so great that it was impossible to think about anything other than the loss of his son. Why would you expect him to be able to be everything to everyone?

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Heartless but true. He wasn't thinking about his wife when he killed himself. Just like many others who kill themselves. They don't think about the people they leave behind.

When grieving though you tend to not think about others.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Heartless but true. He wasn't thinking about his wife when he killed himself. Just like many others who kill themselves. They don't think about the people they leave behind.

Of course they do Glenn, that's a ridiculous thing to say.

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Of course they do Glenn, that's a ridiculous thing to say.

If they did they wouldn't want to put their loved ones through that.

It's a selfish way out of your problems IMO

[lostalex]

I think Glenn is subscribing to the sexist "men should be the ROCK of the family" mentality.

Men have feelings too Glenn, and men can be emotionally destroyed by these kind of events too.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Glenn

If they did they wouldn't want to put their loved ones through that.

It's a selfish way out of your problems IMO

And what if you suffer from depression and can't see any other way out of your problems? My best friend committed suicide when she was 18 and I can assure you she was not a selfish person.

[lostalex]

I think he just really missed his son, and wanted to see his son, and thought that this was the only possible chance of seeing his son.

I think this man just loved his son A LOT.

TO say this man is selfish offends me, i don't think there is anything selfish about what this man did. I think he just wanted to try to see his son again.

I'm not religious, but in cases like this, i really hope i'm wrong, and i really hope he does get to see his son again.

[Shaun]

It's sad, some people's attitudes to suicide. It's so easy to sit behind a laptop screen and say they're selfish and thoughtless... there is NOTHING more heart-wrenching than losing a child, and although I'd agree that in this instance it was a case of tunnel-vision (such as thinking he had nothing to live for), it's totally his prerogative. Noone has the right to say he has to continue living in total misery.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

I think he just really missed his son, and wanted to see his son, and thought that this was the only possible chance of seeing his son.

I think this man just loved his son A LOT.

TO say this man is selfish offends me, i don't think there is anything selfish about what this man did. I think he just wanted to try to see his son again.

I'm not religious, but in cases like this, i really hope i'm wrong, and i really hope he does get to see his son again.

Yeah, I agree with all this.

[Glenn.]

I know someone who killed himself and I didn't think he was a selfish person. He left his wife and two young children.

His family have to go on with that pain for the rest if their lives. To me, someone that kills themselves has no thoughts for what their loved ones they leave behind.


My nan and grandad lost a child when he was eleven. My mum lost her brother and my mums brother and sister lost their brother. The pain they went through made it hard to go on. But suicide never entered their minds. Even though it would of been the easier way out.

Grief does affect people in different ways but to kill yourself is the cowards way out.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Glenn

I know someone who killed himself and I didn't think he was a selfish person. He left his wife and two young children.

His family have to go on with that pain for the rest if their lives. To me, someone that kills themselves has no thoughts for what their loved ones they leave behind.


My nan and grandad lost a child when he was eleven. My mum lost her brother and my mums brother and sister lost their brother. The pain they went through made it hard to go on. But suicide never entered their minds. Even though it would of been the easier way out.

Grief does affect people in different ways but to kill yourself is the cowards way out.

I need to stop replying now.

[Glenn.]

Think of this situation.

A child killer gets life in prison for murdering a 6yr old. He kills himself. What would your view be on that?

[lostalex]

Compare this to Muslim fathers who would KILL their own son for being gay. (this is a reality)

Now THAT would be selfish, killing your own son because you're EMBARASSED of your own son in the arab world. This is a very common happening in the Muslim world.

Stark contrast isn't it?