Two years since the death of anti-bullying campaigner Roger Crouch
It’s exactly two years since the death of Roger Crouch, the Gloucestershire father who campaigned against homophobic bullying following his own son’s death.
Mr Crouch, a former local authority director of Children Services, began campaigning to increase awareness of the effects of school bullying after his 15-year-old son, Dominic, took his own life in May 2011.
Dominic threw himself from a six-storey block of flats in Cheltenham after returning from a school trip.
Although he wasn’t gay, Dominic had been a victim of homophobic bullying at his school.
Mr Crouch took up the cause of tackling homophobic bullying in schools following Dominic’s death.
He was named Stonewall’s Hero of the Year in November 2011.
In a YouTube video recorded at the Stonewall Awards, Mr Crouch said: “My message is twofold really. First is that homophobic bullying can affect any pupil at any time and it really is time that we stamped it out in schools and other settings for young people. And second that we really need to create a culture in schools where all pupils are safe and all young people are treated with dignity and respect, and treat each other with dignity and respect.”
Days later, in the same month, Mr Crouch took his own life.
He left behind his wife, Paola, and their daughter, Guilia.
Despite efforts by LGBT campaigners, schools and politicians to tackle the problem, LGBT bullying looms large in schools.
His mother Shy Keenan, an anti-bullying campaigner, told the hearing in Chelmsford her son was bullied and assaulted for being gay.
