Grieving Dad Visits Man Who Killed His 3 Kids While in Jail, Prays with Him
- In another scenario, Danny Abdalla should not even want to see Samuel Davidson, and if they meet face-to-face, he should jump at his throat
- The young father lost his three kids and a nephew years ago, and Davidson was sadly to blame, and in hindsight, it should not have happened at all
- The two men finally had a chance to meet at the Cessnock Correctional Centre in Australia and shared what was in their hearts
Australia: Danny Abdalla, a man who lost three children and a nephew in an accident involving a drunken driver, has visited the latter in prison in a heartwarming show of forgiveness.
Source: UGC
The three kids of Abdallah were identified as Antony, 13, and his daughters Angelina, 12, and Sienna, 8. Their cousin, Veronique Sakr, 11, was also with the three who were killed five years ago.
The three had gone to buy ice cream when an out-of-control ute mounted a footpath and killed them.
Samuel William Davidson, who was behind the wheel, pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter.
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“I remember I got up early, I’d had a big night; started drinking, and I can’t remember much. The boys I was living with, they got home, we all got into it and yeah, pretty blurry from there," said Davidson.
He continued:
“I’m not even sure why on earth we were driving. I just know that we ran the red light. I remember waiting to turn at a traffic light was just taking forever. I don’t know why."
Source: UGC
Where did Abdalla and Davidson meet?
Initially, Davidson was sentenced to 28 years and given a non-parole period of 21 years; however, that was reduced to 15 years after an appeal.
On Sunday, August 17, Davidson sat down with Abdallah at Cessnock Correctional Centre, where the grieving dad said he would rather the former be released.
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“Justice is to have my kids back. That’s all. If you’ve got one day or you’ve got a hundred years, it’s not going to change how I feel," he said.
Abdalla added that justice wasn't really for the victims; it serves the community. He added that having Davidson in jail simply doesn’t make him feel any better or worse.
“It doesn’t change how I feel. I’m still grieving," he said.
What does Davidson say about the accident?
Davidson praised Abdallah, saying that he was really going the extra mile and he was one in a million.
"Just an absolutely amazing man...I don’t think I deserve that. Yeah. It was an accident and I didn’t mean it, but I’m at fault and I’ve done that. So I don’t believe I deserve any; his even talking to me was a blessing. I was just happy with that. So yeah, he keeps amazing me," he said.
The pair also prayed together, with Abdallah being a devout Maronite Catholic and Davidson being a new Christian behind bars.
“(Davidson) prays the rosaries three times a day, he goes to mass, he’s doing Bible study and he’s done his first confession. He wants to become a Maronite Catholic,” said Abdalla in 2023.
Davidson shared about a spiritual advisor behind bars and how the Abdallah family’s forgiveness pointed him to Christ.
“You know, the whole world should have hated me, but because of Danny and Leila’s forgiveness, I was able to see life in a different way,” Mr Abdallah said.
Source: Facebook
How did Davidson impact on Abdalla?
Davidson's parents visit him most weekends, but, according to Corrective Services, he worries they may pass before he is released.
“It’s just really heavy … I looked at it this way. No one has impacted by life, outside of my parents, my wife and my kids – no one’s changed my life more than this man,” said Abdalla.
“I’m a confrontational kind of person, and I wanted to see who he was, and I wanted to tell him all about who my kids were. For me, it gave me – not closure – but it helped me move along in my life through the journey that I’m in," he said.
They both acknowledged that there were no winners in this, in any tragedy like this, so all they can do is show forgiveness, move forward and find joy in the midst of pain.
“Samuel’s parents gave me a call and said congratulations on the new baby and I said thank you. The driver rang me from jail the next day and said congratulations and that he was thinking of us and I told him he and his family are in my prayers," he added.
Family forgives man who killed their son
In another story, Albert Nyati, who killed Haron Lenjo in 2017, was finally forgiven by the latter's family.
Nyati was sentenced to 30 years behind bars, but in 2019, he appealed his sentence and was given five years. With good behaviour, Nyati was released after three and a half years in prison.
Nyati's first visit was to the chief's office, where he met the family of the man he murdered.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
