Clodagh Hawes family speakout

[oldbirdtree]

www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/clodagh-boys-never-stood-chance-9367017

I am so sad for them. Everyone on the outside could see the madness of that monster being buried with his innocent family but they were (understandably) to deep in grief to make that decision. I'm so sorry they have to live with this horror

His family should be speaking up and supporting hers. It was the most horrific crime and nothing but nothing could excuse his actions. Nothing else in his life or about him can provide any balance to the fact that he did this.

Men like him are eulogised in Ireland and there will be those who continue to do so to this man.

*Does anybody know of any case in which a mother hacks her children to death? One by one? sad

Didn't think so.*

Theresa Riggi stabbed her 3 young children to death in Edinburgh in 2010. Horrific.

Yes, Theresa had a long history of extreme mental health problems and SS let her slip through the net.

Clodagh's family are fundraising for women's aid, link in the article below

www.independent.ie/irish-news/warm-loving-bright-and-capable-mother-and-sister-of-tragic-clodagh-hawe-move-to-help-women-living-in-fear-35265105.html

I had not heard of Theresa (HOW had I not heard of that case?? ) - how horrific.

There was a case in south west Dublin some years back- Templeogue/ Rathfarnham / Tallaght area.
I think the dad survived as he was not in the house.
Heartbreaking.

It was 10 years ago in Firhouse.

There was the case in 2007 of Rekha Kumari-Baker, who stabbed her two teenage daughters to death while they slept, in order to get back at their father. In a statement after she was sentenced, her ex husband said: ''Rekha Kumari always believed her children were an extension of herself, existing to further her own life ambitions." That's how these people think. I remember being shocked that it was a woman. I had never heard of a woman killing her almost adult children in that manner, and for that reason.

Link: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/6218223/Mother-Rekha-Kumari-Baker-sentenced-to-33-years-for-murders-of-children.html

You would THINK that his family would be supporting hers wouldn't you?

''Rekha Kumari always believed her children were an extension of herself, existing to further her own life ambitions."

Yes, Theresa Riggi was exactly like this and even after she'd killed them, applauded herself as such a wonderful mother and person, up until her death.

I sadly have first hand experience of one of these crimes :(

The man involved did have MH issues but also was emotionally abusive. Nobody predicted that it would escalate the way that it did. But I remember him. He was an abusive man, just not physically violent before that time.

The description of Clodagh's husband being a silent threat is exactly the same.

To clarify, he was emotionally abusive - argumentative, volatile, nasty. But no hint of violence until that point.

Which man are you referring to dayswerelong - Do you mean Alan Hawes?

I hope no-one thinks I'm being disrespectful but could someone tell me how to pronounce Clodagh's name. If I'm reading about her, I at least want to get her name right

No, sorry, a man I knew who carried out one of these family annihilations.

Clow (as in low) - da

Ah thank you.

Its odd that annihilators manage to keep their true selves hidden for so long. If you think about it, it must be absolutely exhausting for them to put up the pretence all day every day year after year.

The priest should hang his head in shame for coercing a vulnerable woman/family for telling her/them that burying them together was the right thing to do.

I have a feeling that is how it came about, Honeyride. Certainly his public comments about the murders seemed to indicate this would be his idea too. But you never know. Maybe the family will talk about that decision. I think it would be very revealing of many strands in Irish culture if they were to talk of the time immediately after the discovery of the bodies and up to the funeral.

I am not aware of any statements or comment from Hawe's family about any of this. Is anyone else aware of any?

Honeyrider* sorry

From what has been reported I suspect the priest probably now agrees they made the wrong decision. He took a different tone at the memorial mass in October than he did at the funeral. I've read some news coverage describing how tired and distressed he was in the immediate aftermath. He knew the family well, his first reaction was like the wider family, just knocked sideways by the horror and incomprehensible events and it's only as time has gone past that they become rightly angry.
I would hope the wider church in Ireland is taking note and would provide the right support if they ever have to face this sort of of event again because the priest was a family friend too and was in shock and grief as well.

I hope that his body is exhumed and buried elsewhere. Anywhere except near Clodagh and her lovely boys.

It's unimaginable what her family must have felt and they probably didn't get a chance to even think about planning the funeral. I remember thinking at the time that I hated the fact that they were all sharing a funeral, the murderer and his victims, and being buried together.
But that was me, as a stranger, looking in from the outside. Not a family member caught up in this most horrific event.

Too late for Clodagh and her boys, sadly, but hopefully others may be saved by money raised and awareness of how people become trapped in abusive situations.

The older adopted son who murdered his two young brothers referred to in an earlier post had a history of mental illness and after murdering his brothers he killed himself.

He was a wonderful son and brother and in his teens he experienced a series of personal crises and his mental health declined. He had been engaging with mental health services but prior to the incident his mental health spiralled. His parents loved him very much and quite rightly believed that he should be buried with his brothers.

He cannot be compared to Alan Hawes who it seems was motivated by his imminent fall from grace. Him and his ilk make me sick.

I never judged the priest. Priests don't dictate what family members are buried together - the family does.

So what I think happened is that the "buried together" idea was immediately and emphatically treated as a matter of course by a horrified and reeling family member or members.

And the rest went along with it, cos nobody knew the details of what had happened and it was a knee jerk reaction. And the priest considered it his duty to support them in whatever they decided.

Remember the funeral was within a few days. I very much doubt any member of either family (or the priest) knew more than the bare bones of it I.e. that they weren't shot, but stabbed. I suspect none had seen the note or knew the contents at that point as it was in Garda custody.

It was only after the burial that details started to leak out, about hatchets, and defensive wounds etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if the priest had deep regrets, as Clodaghs family do. They were operating in the dark and were on a time scale far too short.

Emerald re the case you wrote about.
Isn't that mother ( and father I think) simply amazing - to have so much love and forgiveness in her heart.

Elspeth Clodagh's mother said at the time that it was the priest that said it was the right thing to do.