From the story:
Public schoolboy Dominic Crouch, 15, plunged from the six-storey building near the exclusive St Edwards School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in May of last year, just days after coming back from a four-day art class trip to the Forest of Dean.From The Advocate:
Dominic appeared to be happy after returning from the trip, the inquest in Cheltenham heard.
However, on he Tuesday after the expedition the 'carefree' rugby-loving schoolboy left the school at lunchtime and went to a locked block of flats nearby called Withyholt Court.
He managed to gain access to the roof and threw himself off.
Paul Harvey, the school's current headmaster, told the inquest a helper on the trip, Lucy Evans, had reported after Dominic's death that the Year 10 children had been playing 'spin the bottle' on the trip and that it was said Dominic had kissed a boy.
This led to gossip that he might be homosexual.
“Dominic was clearly upset about rumours that he believed were being spread about him,” Dominic’s father Roger Crouch told the inquest. “We need to realize that what may be a laugh to some young people are deeply upsetting to another.”
Gloucestershire's deputy coroner David Dooley has ruled the death a suicide.
UPDATE 4/2/2011:
Via a comment from Dominic's mother, Paola Crouch:
I have been so moved by your website. The utter needlessness of loss of life caused by bullying or worse (I see with sadness that one young man was beaten to death). I am Domi's mother. Dominic was not in fact gay but was instinctively opposed to all forms of discrimination. He was driven to his death by taunts which he confirms in his last notes to us, were not true. Dominic was tough and physically fearless which I fear contributed to his undoing. He was also tremendously kind and compassionate and would never have participated in a similar hate campaign against a fellow pupil. We, his family, and the world in general have lost the sort of person that made life worth living, a boy without a single bad bone in his body. Rest in peace my beautiful child.
UPDATE 12/6/2011:
Roger Crouch, Dominic's father, who had spent his time since Dominic's death fighting bullying in schools, committed suicide on November 28th, 2011. Apparently he had never come to terms with his son's death.
Read more here.
Sources:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/05/father-who-set-up-anti-gay-bullying-campaign-after-son-s-suicide-hanged-himself-inquest-hears-115875-23612446/
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/859523-gay-rumours-schoolboy-dominic-crouch-jumped-off-block-of-flats
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/03/31/Gay_Rumors_Led_Teen_to_Suicide/
I have been so moved by your website. The utter needlessness of loss of life caused by bullying or worse (I see with sadness that one young man was beaten to death). I am Domi's mother. Dominic was not in fact gay but was instinctively opposed to all forms of discrimination. He was driven to his death by taunts which he confirms in his last notes to us, were not true. Dominic was tough and physically fearless which I fear contributed to his undoing. He was also tremendously kind and compassionate and would never have participated in a similar hate campaign against a fellow pupil. We, his family, and the world in general have lost the sort of person that made life worth living, a boy without a single bad bone in his body. Rest in peace my beautiful child.
ReplyDeleteDominic's father, it seems, commented on our report of his son's inquest.
ReplyDeletehttp://smuttystuff2.nibblebit.com/gay-news/
Paola - I am so sorry for your loss. I am also sorry that I just now stumbled upon your comment. In theory, I'm supposed to be notified when that happens.
ReplyDeleteI am so sad whenever some kid reaches the 'ultimate' point in their lives when they decide death is the answer. That should *never* be the answer.
If there is anything you want me to change or acknowledge in this post, please let me know. You can reach me via email by clicking on my profile link.
I will add your comment to the main story.
Stories like this make me wonder just how cruel heart-ed people really are. People take nice kids that have lots to live for and they just tear them down. This is the kind of story I would want everyone to hear. The fact that they really didn't have any reason to mock him makes it much worse. I'm so sorry for the loss of a wonderful person in this world. This world doesn't have enough wonderful people. To the author of this site, I'm a major fan of this site. Though it's depressing, I like reading things like this. You're a great writer. Keep writing, and let the world know these stories. Thank you.
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