Throughout the week, the story of Sanjeev Chada and how he murdered his two sons permeated the Irish papers and radios. On Friday, his wife Kathleen made an appearance on The Late Late Show to talk about her horrific ordeal 14 months ago. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story I will give a brief synopsis.
Sanjeev was sentenced to two life sentences on Tuesday for murdering his two young sons, Eoghan and Ruairi. Sanjeev told Kathleen that he was going to bring the boys bowling to give her a break. The two “popular, gorgeous boys” were found in the boot of their father’s car after he strangled them to death, before attempting to take his own life.The court heard last week that Chada had also planned to kill his wife Kathleen, but feared that she would be too strong. Chada and Kathleen had been suffering difficulties in their marriage as a result of Sanjeev’s gambling problems.
In a note to his children he wrote: “I could not let you bear the pain of being from a broken home. Mammy is getting rid of me and I could not leave you behind. I have so much to teach you but I could not do that if I was not with you.
“We will be together now in some way … in the most beautiful country, your mate and Daddy.”
Kathleen’s appearance on The Late Late Show helped show the audience how strong she is. She is an inspiration in how she has dealt with her horrific experience. She talked with such strength and grace. She talked about how her Catholic faith has helped her to overcome such an ordeal. It really helps give other people an insight into how our faith can help us to overcome obstacles in our lives. She admits that she doesn’t go to mass every week and that she will never be able to forgive her husband for what he has done. However, she still asserts that her faith is strong and that her faith is what has helped her to move on with life.
I think this would be a good story to share with an older group in Religious Education to help show that faith comes in different forms and sizes, but that it can help us to deal with our difficult experiences in life. Kathleen truly is an inspirational woman. The Late Late Show 10th October
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