Eight years for man who tried to kill his children is ‘an insult’
A GRIEVING mother whose two sons were killed by their father has blasted the Irish justice system for its ‘absolute insult’ after a man was jailed for just eight years for trying to kill his four children.
Kathleen Chada, whose husband, Sanjeev, murdered their sons Eoghan, ten, and Ruairí five, told the Irish Daily Mail that victims are not being served by the justice system and called for multiple life sentences for people who kill their children.
Kathleen Chada, from Co. Carlow, tragically hit the headlines in July 2013, after the bodies of Eoghan and Ruairí were found in the boot of her husband’s car. Her husband Sanjeev Chada received two life sentences in October 2014.
Ms Chada spoke after another father who tried to kill his four children was jailed for eight years last week. He pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted murder.
‘That was not good enough for that family or those children,’ she told the Irish Daily Mail. ‘That man tried to kill two of his children and left to go and kill the other two. Nothing told him what you are doing here is wrong. The same happened with Sanjeev. Nothing flipped in their minds to stay, stop, this is wrong.
‘In that case it was about the father. Again, where are the voices of the victims here? There needs to be a radical overhaul of our judicial system. The victims’ voice and the families of victims are all being lost in the courts. ‘It is easier to keep the victims quiet. Everything feeds back to the perpetrator. That needs to change. Life should mean life, and it doesn’t. That is not good enough,’ she said.
Earlier, on the Sean O’Rourke Show on RTÉ Radio 1, Ms Chada said that the eight-year sentence in the latest case was ‘an absolute insult’ to the victims because the man would be released from prison.
‘He’s a danger to his children and yet he’s going to be allowed out… I think it’s an absolute insult,’ she said. She said the case brought back painful memories of her own tragedy. ‘Every line resonated with me because it was relatively similar to my own situation,’ she said. ‘He was a stay-at-home dad and there
wasn’t any long-term issues in the relationship, just like my own. The judge set a sentence to 12 years and then brought it down to eight. And out of those eight years he’ll automatically get a quarter off, which brings it down to six. He’s already been in prison for a year, so in five years’ time he’ll potentially be out and on the streets again,’ she said.
Ms Chada added that the fight for justice keeps her going.
‘My story is their story. I am here in this world to be their voice. My sons had an incredibly strong sense of fairness. They need to be heard, our judicial system does not allow that. It is easier to deal with the perpetrator. Dealing with victims is messy, difficult and emotional. Law doesn’t allow for emotion.’
Kathleen was one of the speakers at the Safe Ireland Safe World summit held in the Mansion House in Dublin yesterday.
The mother of two has become and advocate for victims of crime, highlighting the need for tougher sentences for murders. She said her husband’s sentence was too light. ‘In one way, maybe Sanjeev would have been better off being sentenced for a lesser crime, because at least then I would know he was definitely serving a 15-year, 20- or 30-year sentence.
‘But with a life sentence, he is due to apply for parole in two years, he has that right, so you are always left wondering. He should have been given two life sentences. The law in Ireland though does not allow that.
‘I don’t think he will apply for parole. But I can’t say for sure. Apparently, he is very quiet in prison, but you just don’t know what he’ll do. I may get a phonecall some day and be told he is applying to be free. Even in court, people can hide behind the guilty plea. Of course, it is a good thing to be spared the trauma of a murder trial, but in the other way, it is all about the perpetrator and the victim gets lost.’
‘He’s going to be allowed out’
FOR many years this newspaper has highlighted the scandal of inconsistent and lenient sentencing in the penal justice system.
We make no apology for pointing out that the existing situation is completely unacceptable. While custodial terms have been handed down in instances where no offence against the person was committed, violent offenders routinely walk out of court scotfree. It often seems as if there is neither rhyme nor reason when it comes to the way in which justice is administered. The fundamental reality underpinning this state of affairs is that victims are very poorly represented in the system.
The most egregious example in recent times came last week in the case of a man who admitted trying to murder his four children. He received an eight-year sentence, but given standard remission and allowing for time already served, he will be a free man again by 2023.
It is greatly to Kathleen Chada’s credit that she drew attention to this particular case, and her words bear repeating here. ‘The question is if he’ll be a danger to society, but it doesn’t matter from my perspective,’ she said. ‘He’s a danger to his children and yet he’s going to be allowed out… I think it’s an absolute insult.’
Few people are better qualified to speak on this subject than Ms Chada. Her husband murdered their two sons in July 2013, ten-year-old Eoghan and Ruairí, five.
Even though Sanjeev Chada is serving a double life sentence, it is entirely likely that he will be walking the streets again before too long. This isn’t good enough.
Penalties imposed by the courts of law need to serve as both punishment and deterrent. Anyone convicted of a violent offence should expect a very lengthy sentence indeed. And those guilty of the ultimate crime – taking someone’s life – ought to count themselves very lucky indeed if they ever get to see the light of day again.