Oatlands crash memorial vandalised
A heartless vandal has destroyed the memorial for the children killed in the Oatlands crash.
Photographs of siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 9, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, were framed on a fence in Oatlands after they passed in February last year.
But on Sunday morning, they were found torn off the fence.
The siblings' father Danny was spotted at the memorial restoring it.
The memorial is the only public memento to the children killed in the crash after Oatlands Golf Club rejected plans for a garden.
The club’s board rejected designs drawn up by Parramatta Council, without first consulting its members, on the basis they were too elaborate and would unduly remind neighbours of the tragedy.
“All concepts submitted by Parramatta Council on behalf of the families have been well outside the scale of what had been communicated as appropriate,” Oatlands Golf Club general manager Sam Howe said in an email to members.
“In light of there being no support from the families for a memorial that the board has deemed appropriate to take to the membership, the board has decided to close negotiations.”
Danny and his wife Leila said they were “devastated” by the decision and asked for the board to reconsider.
“We are devastated by the decision of the Oatlands Golf Club Board to end discussions for a modest commemorative garden on the edge of the golf course where our children were killed,” they said.
“We respectfully ask the board to reconsider its decision so that our children can be honoured and the community can have a place to remember the Oatlands tragedy.
“We love our children dearly and we will always grieve the loss of our beautiful kids.
“Our proposed commemorative garden simply honours our children, Antony, Angelina, Sienna and Veronique and our survivors Liana, Charbel and Mabelle.”