The father of an eight-year-old boy who died when a car smashed into his classroom has forgiven the driver in a touching speech in the hearse as it carried his son’s coffin to the cemetery.
Jihad Darwiche’s funeral on Thursday came two days after he and a friend, also eight, were killed when an out-of-control SUV smashed into their classroom at Banksia Road Primary School in Greenacre, Sydney.
A dashcam video from the hearse shows Jihad’s father speaking in Arabic while his son’s green casket – draped in a black and gold cloth – lies in the rear of the vehicle.
The father (pictured) of a young boy killed when a car smashed into his classroom has forgiven the driver in an extraordinary speech videoed in the hearse as it carried his eight-year-old’s coffin to the cemetery
Goodbye, little one: The boy, eight, was carried from Lakemba Mosque following the service
The driver of the car, family friend Ahmad Hraichie, translates for Jihad’s father in the video broadcast via Facebook.
‘Allah has called for his boy, he [the father] is very happy,’ Mr Hraichie said. ‘The father says all the threats to this lady, the abuse, is not from them.
‘No retaliation is coming from the family of the boy. They have forgiven – if anything they want to sit with this lady and tell her we forgive you.’
Jihad’s father said his family hopes to extend a hand to the woman.
Members of the community carried the small, fluoro green coffin in and out of the service
Heartbroken mourners embraced as they arrived for the funeral service at the mosque located in south-western Sydney
Draped in a traditional rug, the little boy was carried into the service
‘When all of this is over she is welcome to come and sit with the family, have a meal and talk about how they can move forward.’
Earlier, Hundreds of mourners crammed into Lakemba Mosque to remember Jihad.
Dozens of men carried the boy’s little coffin, swathed in an Islamic dressing, up the stairs and into the mosque.
His heartbroken mother was comforted by a group of women as they entered around the side of the mosque moments later.
The funeral was followed by traditional Islamic prayers. The mosque was so crowded mourners had to pray on the steps outside.
The waiting hearse containing the late little boy’s coffin is pictured here
A large contingent of police kept an eye on the service at the Lakemba Mosque
A large contingent of police were in attendance.
Maha Al-Shennag, 52, has been charged with dangerous driving and had her license suspended after she allegedly slammed her Toyota Kluger into classroom 3T.
Seventeen children and one female teacher were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics.
Two eight-year-old girls and a nine-year-old girl were taken to hospital on Tuesday with two of them released on Wednesday afternoon.
Police are investigating if Ms Al-Shennag, a widow heavily involved in the local community, was leaning over to pick up a water bottle.
It’s understood a line of inquiry is whether she accidentally pressed the accelerator sending the car lurching into the building.
The two boys died when a Toyota Kluger SUV hit their demountable classroom shortly before 10am on Tuesday. The boy on left was laid to rest on Thursday
The funeral was followed by traditional prayers – with the mosque so full the crowd had to pray outside
Ms Al-Shennag was on Thursday hit with additional charges of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and causing actual bodily harm by misconduct.
A statement from her lawyer Nick Hanna said she was ‘deeply sorry for the loss and hurt suffered by the children, the school, the families and the community’.
‘Her thoughts and prayers are with all those affected’.
She has been granted conditional bail.
Meantime, Banksia Road Primary School has reopened with specialist counsellors and additional teaching staff from nearby schools.
A makeshift memorial outside the school gates has been growing, with students, parents and teachers leaving flowers, tributes and balloons.
The Toyota Kluger SUV rammed into the classroom building, killing the two boys and injuring many others
A map shows the car-park where Ms Al-Shennag was allegedly driving before the accident