A heartbroken father who confronted the individual responsible for the deaths of his three children has shared the reasons behind his forgiveness.
Samuel Davidson is currently incarcerated, serving a sentence that was initially set at 28 years but later reduced to 20 years. He was convicted for driving under the influence of drugs and with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit in 2020.
Davidson’s vehicle veered onto the sidewalk, tragically colliding with siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, eight, as well as their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11. The children were on their way to get ice cream in Oatlands, Sydney, when the tragic accident occurred.
In an extraordinary act, the parents of the children, Danny and Leila Abdallah, publicly forgave Davidson soon after the devastating event. Furthermore, Danny visited Davidson in prison.
In a conversation with 7 News Spotlight, Danny affirmed that he has ‘100 percent’ forgiven Davidson, stating: “Completely.”
“There’s probably disappointment,” he added. “But I can’t sit in that past place and… Well, I’ve accepted what’s happened.”
Initially, the grieving father experienced feelings of anger and vengeance after the incident but noted that his outlook changed while mourning with his family.
Danny explained: “When I saw my other kids, how broken they were, when I saw my wife being broken as well, that [anger] for me sort of fizzled away. I don’t want to make it go from bad to worse. It’s like I’ve dug myself in a hole and I don’t want to go deeper. I’ve just got to stop right there.”
Leila expressed to reporters that they ‘try our best not to hate’, telling news.com.au: “We get angry of course, we get upset. We are broken from what happened and we will never recover but we try not to hold grudges, or hold onto hate.”
Davidson’s sentence was reduced by the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal in 2022 to 20 years, with a non-parole period of 15 years, from an original term of 28 years with non-parole of 21 years.
Despite the reduction, Danny stated to 7News that he would release Davidson ‘tomorrow’ if he could.
“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 commented.
Davidson, however, disagrees, mentioning: “I don’t think I deserve that. It was an accident and I didn’t mean it, but I’m at fault and I’ve done that.”
Reflecting on the family’s decision to forgive, he said: “When something like what has happened to me has happened, usually people are up for revenge for that, which you can understand and you can appreciate because it’s such a horrible, tragic event.”
“You’d think that when you’re getting out, you’re gone. That’s it,” Davidson continued. “That’s not the case for me. He [Danny] has given me forgiveness. He’s welcomed me into his family. He’s gone beyond.”
Davidson stated that Danny’s forgiveness has prevented him from being in a ‘very dark place’ and has provided him with ‘hope’.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.