A father of eight who tragically lost three of his children in a car accident has forgiven and received Holy Communion alongside the man responsible for their deaths.
In February 2020, the children of Danny Abdallah, from Sydney, Australia, were walking to buy ice cream to celebrate a birthday when Samuel Davidson, who was three times over the legal alcohol limit and under the influence of drugs, mounted the curb and struck them.
The crash resulted in the deaths of four children, three of whom were Abdallah's and one his niece. Davidson was sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of three children and to charges relating to injuries caused to three others. His sentence was later reduced to 20 years, with a non-parole period of 15. He is imprisoned at Cessnock Correctional Centre, a maximum security prison in New South Wales, where he spends around 17 hours a day in his cell.
Davidson had a typical suburban upbringing and had been a keen rugby player. His life changed when his 30-year-old sister died when he was 19. After her death, his drinking and drug use increased and he suffered from serious depression. He became a regular binge drinker and later admitted to having driven whilst drunk on at least one other occasion, though he had no prior convictions.
On the day of the crash, he had started drinking in the morning and planned to continue throughout the day. In court, he did not use his depression as an excuse for his actions.
Danny Abdallah’s wife, Leila Abdallah, spoke to the press just days after the crash. Wearing a jumper with the words “Team Jesus” and holding a rosary, she said she had forgiven Davidson. In her emotional statement she said, “If Jesus can forgive, we have to forgive.”
Abdallah, who works in construction, is a committed father who describes himself as a “part-time worker, full-time father.” He is a devout Maronite Catholic and founded the I4Give Foundation, which promotes forgiveness rooted in gospel values. He has publicly forgiven Davidson and said that if it were up to him he would be released from prison today. He has also said that his remaining children pray for Davidson daily. Abdallah was one of 10 Australians invited to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in acknowledgement of their "extraordinary contributions to their communities”.
Abdallah has taken the extraordinary step of visiting Davidson in prison. A recent episode of 7NEWS Spotlight records one of his visits, during which, at a Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion led by prison chaplain Deacon Gerard McCarthy, Abdallah and Davidson received the Eucharist on their knees beside one another.
Danny and Leila Abdallah remain committed to honouring the legacy of their children, stating that “our four children are now our four saints.” Encouraging others to forgive, they say: “Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. The more you practise, the better you become at it, and it allows you to live peacefully and to heal. Forgiveness is more for the forgiver than the forgiven.” More about their work can be found at www.i4give.com.
Photo credit: YouTube/7NewsSpotlight.
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