Grieving father cleared of blame
Police defend their decision to charge Bililigne Gebretsadik with careless driving causing the death of his unborn child, reports
ALREADY grieving the loss of a baby they so badly wanted, a Wellington man and his wife were stung by accusations he was to blame for his unborn son’s death.
Berhampore taxi driver Bililigne Gebretsadik and his wife, Seble Cherie, originally from Ethiopia, were desperate for their 8-year-old daughter, Kalkidan, to have a sibling.
Mrs Cherie was 31 weeks’ pregnant and her husband was behind the wheel when they were involved in a two-car collision at a Newtown intersection, injuring her and the other driver.
The crash set in motion a 15-month nightmare, which ended this week when Mr Gebretsadik was absolved of blame for the accident and their child’s death.
In keeping with their Orthodox Christian custom, their child’s gender was to be a surprise.
Instead, the expectant mother underwent an emergency caesarean that their baby boy did not survive. ‘‘I was traumatised.
‘‘I was really sad that we had lost a baby. It was really too much,’’ Mr Gebretsadik recalled.
‘‘We thank God that we survived. If we didn’t, [our daughter] would have been left alone.
‘‘It was not easy. It was a big accident,’’ his wife, speaking through a translator, added.
Already stricken with grief, Mrs Cherie begged police not to prosecute her husband but, after a six-month investigation, they laid charges. In an unprecedented decision that police said was not made lightly, Mr Gebretsadik was charged with careless driving causing the death of an unborn child on top of charges related to the injuries sustained by his wife and the woman driving the other vehicle. The couple’s Berhampore home yesterday bloomed with congratulatory bouquets following Tuesday’s not guilty verdict.
But the cloud of accusation lingered. ‘‘I do not accept this Seble Cherie on her husband being acquitted over the car crash which killed their unborn baby. court case because even if we have 1000 witnesses, they wanted to say that I lied, that he lied,’’ Mrs Cherie said.
‘‘When I came to New Zealand I felt safe and I’m prouder now because we got justice – I do not have any worry about the justice system. But before I was scared . . . to open the window, to open the door, to sleep. I felt sick.’’
Wellington police area investigations manager Senior Sergeant John van den Heuvel said the decision to prosecute was made after careful assessment of the evidence and of public interest.
The accident happened at the complex intersection of Adelaide Rd, John St, and Riddiford St.
Mr Gebretsadik and the other driver, Sheronika Singh, each claimed they had a green light but police maintained Mr Gebretsadik had gone through the intersection while the light was red.
Seble Cherie and Bililigne Gebretsadik faced the loss of their unborn baby, then Mr Gebretsadik was charged and later absolved of blame for the death after a traffic accident.
Mr van den Heuvel noted the judge did not criticise police for bringing the case despite the not guilty verdict.
‘‘While the decision to lay charges may seem harsh, given the obvious grief of the family, it is important for people to understand the sometimes difficult balancing act the police are asked to undertake when considering charges,’’ he said.
‘‘I want to reiterate that the decision to bring these charges was not made lightly and that we have every sympathy for the family’s loss.’’