Dad who lost three kids to drunk driver sits down with their killer in jail
Samuel Davidson was three times over the legal alcohol limit, drug-affected and out of control when the ute he was driving mounted a footpath and mowed down seven children in the 2020 Oatlands tragedy that shocked the nation.
Next Sunday at 8.40pm on Seven and 7plus, 7NEWS Spotlight goes inside one of Australia's toughest maximum-security prisons for an unforgettable meeting between two men.
Abdallah siblings Antony (13), Angelina (12), and Sienna (8), along with their cousin Veronique Sakr (11), were all killed instantly.
Three other children were injured.
Davidson was sentenced on appeal to 20 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 15 years.
At the time, many Australians couldn't comprehend how parents Danny and Leila Abdallah publicly forgave him.
But now, in an extraordinary act, Danny Abdallah's forgiveness reaches even deeper.
Five years on from the tragedy, 7NEWS Spotlight has been granted rare access inside one of the country's harshest prisons to capture the raw and emotional encounter between a grieving father and the man who destroyed his world.
It is an extraordinary television interview that challenges everything we think we know about restorative justice, remorse and forgiveness.
For the first time, Australians will also hear from Davidson about that horrific day, including new revelations about the reasons behind his actions and the devastating consequences that followed.
7NEWS Spotlight 's Michael Usher, who has followed the Abdallahs' story since the beginning, said: 'For the past eight months, 7NEWS Spotlight has worked closely with Corrective Services NSW, lawyers and psychologists to make this possible.
'We spent a week inside one of Australia's hardest prisons where TV cameras are rarely allowed to speak with a high-risk, high-security inmate serving one of the longest sentences for his crime.
'Danny's journey to forgiveness has been long, complicated, and deeply emotional.
'What I witnessed inside those walls is something I never expected to see, and certainly never thought we'd be able to share with the Australian public.'
Where does justice end and mercy begin? And can forgiveness ever truly heal?
Don't miss this powerful 7NEWS Spotlight special, airing next Sunday, 17 August at 8.40pm on Seven and 7plus.
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