I THINK it is time to reflect on the way on which we, as a society, have behaved recently in relation to mental illness and in particular to the case of Claude Gabriel.
While I share the same surname as Claude Gabriel I am no relation as far as I have been able to ascertain. I am therefore not writing this with any family connection or agenda. I am writing this to ask people to stop and reflect on this tragedy.
Only the Clarke family can know the utter sorrow and tragedy of losing their precious Janaya when she was stabbed to death by Claude Gabriel in 1998. I cannot even come close to imagining what they have gone through and what they continue to go through as a result of this tragedy. My heartfelt sympathy and prayers go out to the Clarke family. I pray for peace for the family and for the friends and loved ones of Janaya.
I have followed the reporting of this case and I have been disgusted by some of the reporting and attitudes surrounding these tragic circumstances. There seems to be an inference that Claude Gabriel somehow literally ‘got away with murder’ and as such he is fair game for the media and is public property. With due respect and acknowledgment of the feelings of those who have been caught up in this tragedy, and by no means trivialising this tragedy, the bare facts are that as a result of a man’s illness a young woman is dead. It seems to me that the fact that the illness was a mental illness has clouded the thoughts of many and has led to the public attitude that Claude Gabriel should be punished for what he did. This attitude seems to have usurped the compassion and privacy that should be accorded to a man with an illness.
Had the nature of Claude Gabriel’s illness been physiological instead of mental I doubt whether recent events would have attracted as much publicity.
I wonder how differently a man would be treated if, when he was driving a car, he suffered a heart attack which resulted in loss of control of the car thus causing fatal injuries to another person.
Would he be called a killer? What would be the attitude of the media and the public to this man’s privacy and his treatment? Would he be blamed for the death and called a killer even after a medical tribunal determined he was not responsible for his actions due to a medical condition? Would we try to stop this man from seeking treatment at a place close to his family who love him and who can help him and support him as he seeks treatment and comes to terms with the consequences of his illness?
I ask everyone to answer these questions honestly to themselves and then ask why many in society demonise mental illness. The very vast majority of people with a mental illness are non-violent. Only a very small proportion of people with a mental illness need isolation form society for their own benefit and the safety of society. Many people with a mental illness fully recover and go on to lead fulfilling and productive lives and it is the support of family and friends that assists in the recovery.
It would also help if society took the attitude that mental illness is just another illness and people with a mental illness should be accepted just as people with cancer or diabetes, or osteoporosis or heart disease are accepted and supported by society.
Please examine your thoughts on your attitude to the man who has a heart attack while driving the car and your attitude to the case of Claude Gabriel. To me there is no difference. In each case a person is dead as a result of a man’s illness.
Please stop and think and become informed about mental illness. Do what you can do to help – don’t stigmatise and condemn. After all, it is reported that one person in five will suffer some form of mental illness in their lifetime.
G. GABRIEL Bundamba, Qld
