Shot Pc David Rathband 'bears no malice' to Raoul Moat

Hello guys,

Well it's been a pretty lively fortnight here in the UK with gunman Raoul Moat's saga finally coming to an end. Regardless of Raoul's crimes, I have stated from day one that I personally feel sorry for the man.

As far as I'm concerned he was a troubled individual who felt he had been let down by the police, local council and associated mental authorities. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning his crimes and my condolences go out to his ex girlfriend, her new partner and the poor police officer who was shot.

I also find it slightly strange in the amount of public support Moat has been shown however that only reinforces the notion that my personal sympathy is not "wrong" or "unique"

I've just found an interesting article on BBC displaying comments from PC David Rathband who Raoul Moat shot while he was sitting in his patrol car whilst parked at a round-about.

Pc Rathband, a 42-year-old father of two, said: "I bear no malice towards the man who shot me, but now wish to move on with my life.

Link: www.bbc.co.uk...

Now while PC Rathband's comments could simply be for the public, personally I believe they seem pretty genuine.

One way or another, Raoul Moat has left his mark on society and I think it speaks volumes about the case when the police officer he has, potentially blinded, comments that he feels no malice towards his attacker.

Thoughts?

Yes, i saw the same sort of sentiment expressed toward Derek Bird after his rampage in the Lake District.

It is encouraging to see that rather than branding the perpetrator of the crime evil, there was an emphasis on the shortcomings of our society that were the root causes of these awful events.

Im certainly not giving these criminals any sympathy, but i believe that the sudden increase in the level of maturity of the UK media may help to stop this sort of thing happening again.

reply to post by Silver Star


Exactly mate, at the end of the day everyone has their own personal snapping points. I feel sorry for Raoul Moat in the sense that he didn't completely "flip out", however wrong his actions he unfortunately believed he had reason to act the way he did and considering he apparently asked for psychological help it makes me wonder who is the real criminal...

If he had been given the help he admitted he needed then maybe a small disaster could have been avoided, it speaks volumes in my opinion that one of his victims states he has no malice towards him.

www.thesun.co.uk...

Thought provoking interview with the blinded Policeman

reply to post by getso


At the end of the day, like I said before, I'm not condoning Raoul Moat's actions and it's an absolute bleeding shame to watch that interview with PC Rathband.

His unshakable spirit, determination and laughter in the face of adversity should be an inspiration to each and every one of us, it brings tears to the eye watching the poor bloke speak but I can't help but admire his positive attitude.

He appreciates that he has lost one of his major sensory organs but promises that it won't defeat his life.

The point I'm trying to make is that, believe it or not, PC Rathband if put under enough psychological pressure could also act in a manner similiar to Moat, I feel sorry for both individual's albeit in different ways.

reply to post by Death_Kron

You can almost put yourself in their position at the end, once they have calmed down and reflected on what they have done - just before they kill themselves.

How on Gods earth must they feel? What thoughts are going through their heads?

The regret must be enormous.

You wouldnt get news reporting that made you think like this a few years ago. Back then, people who did this sort of thing were branded as freaks and abnormalities. But really they are just like you and me - it's just that they have found themselves in an extraordinary (to them) situation.


A 'Domino effect' then starts, which leads to the inevitable conclusion.

The social services were pretty negligent in more than one aspect in the case of Raoul Moat but, to be fair, how do you know when somone is REALLY that close to the edge?

reply to post by Silver Star


Spot on mate. I've found myself feeling pretty low the last couple of weeks, a little something called Depersonalization Disorder. I understand more than anyone how easy it is to "lose the plot", I think the person needs to know themselves that they are nearing the edge and ask for help (as in the case of Raoul Moat) although unfortunately this isn't always possible...

Depersonalization Disorder.

I just 'googled' it (god, i hate that term!).

Hey, i hope things arent too bad for you!

I know what it's like to feel that you are 'losing it' - it's highly unpleasant.

reply to post by Silver Star


It's an annoying phrase isn't it?

I'm not too bad thanks mate, just a culmination of too much stress and too much alcohol.

Fortunately I'm not about to go kill anyone, however one can sort of understand what too much pressure mentally can do to a human being.