Man kills his family and himself due to debt problems

[ScarletPimpernel]

I'm sure that all will become clear in the fullness of time.

 

In the meantime, no doubt 'senior industry figures' will be explaining how, if only they had access to more data and less regulation, these things wouldn't happen.

[ScarletPimpernel]

It's certainly absolutely correct that this individual was responsible for his own actions, but there is also something to be said about the causal factors that led to his mental health being such that he committed these crimes and then killed himself.

 

We don't know the full facts, but it appears that this was a man who had a job and was well liked. The family dynamic appeared to be stable.

 

The principal problem he had was debt. It is well known (and has been researched) that debt is a major contributory factor to depression and other mental health issues, and I think that it would be difficult to say that his financial circumstances, and by extension the business practices of creditors and DCAs, played no part in this incident.

 

I do not think that anyone sensible in the debt industry would deliberately set out to make someone ill, or are pleased when someone kills themselves because they cannot cope with the letters and calls (after all, there's no money in it!) On the other hand, in my opinion greed and the desire for quick profit still trumps ethics and compliance in the industry, and until those in charge in the industry, and those charges with regulation, have the desire to change, these things will continue to happen.

 

Suicides and murders in which debt is a factor are still uncommon - but many, many people are made miserable and suffer depression and other illness as a consequence of debt collection practices. I strongly believe that the vast majority of debtors are 'can't pays' who want to settle, and that if the industry adopted an ethical and compliant approach, and saw collection as a long term business there would be a step change for the positive.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Latest reports state that the children were not stabbed and post mortem examinations have not been conclusive.

 

As to how someone can kill their own child, it should be borne in mind that when someone is unwell, their perception is altered. It is unrealistic to apply 'normal' standards. We cannot know how this particular individual felt, but in other cases it has appears that the perpetrator thought that by killing those close to them they are saving or protecting them from something worse, or there may be thoughts that they will all be together in the afterlife.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I'm a parent of young children, I'm in debt, I've suffered at the hands of debt collectors and I've been driven to the very edge of sanity, I've been incarcerated under the mental health act because of debt related issues..but at no point can or could I ever conceive taking the life of my children (felt like taking my own once or twice) for whatever reason and of course there can be a mulititude of reasons to try explain why somebody takes the life of another. sure the afterlife beckons (for some) and others see glory in death and whatever but taking the life of your own flesh and blood at their age and their innocence...to me there is simply no justification for that act whatsoever, their quality of life post their fathers demise may to him not look so rosy but that really would be a blinkered perception and selfish at that.

 

I think the important thing here is to remember that no-one can possibly know how another person feels. Although circumstances may be shared, each individual's experience will be unique, and their emotions, perceptions and reactions will differ.

 

 

 

Death is inevitable, suicide is awful/desperate ut taking the like of your own healthy children is murder, nothing can dress that up.

 

...except when it's manslaughter, which may apply in a case like this where there may be diminished responsibility due to abnormality of mind or impaired mental function.

 

In the past people didn't understand mental health, and consequently, for example, people were burnt as witches. At the other end of the scale, some mentally ill people were beatified - Bernadette of Lourdes, for example, had clear mental health symptoms. We've moved on, and must take account of physiological and pathological conditions, and of human frailty, or we run the risk of our justice system regressing.

[ScarletPimpernel]

The Mould post unapproved. Personal insults are not acceptable.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I have unapproved another of The Mould's crayonings, even at the risk that he will follow through on his threat to leave and never return. This is because the post is clearly absurd, and seems to be designed only to provoke others. It does not contribute anything to the discussion.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Scarlet

 

How do you do that? do you see it before us?

 

Mr W

 

It was there for all to see until I unapproved it. Mods see posts the same way as everyone else, and at the same time. The only difference is that we have an additional menu of thread and post tools.

 

Unapproved posts can still be viewed by mods, but not by others, so they don't disappear completely.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Hi I am not ' having a go ' here but, why should yo and cerb do the unapprovals?

 

Mr W

 

 

Any of the site team can moderate threads and posts.