A 68-year-old man who lost two sons and was unable to attend the funeral of the younger of them has been released from a minimum-security facility of the penal system in the Abai Region. His wife, eldest son and three-year-old grandson met him at the gates, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the press service of the regional Department of the Penal System, the Abai Region resident had been sentenced to eight months in prison for driving while intoxicated. He arrived at the minimum-security facility to serve his term.
Staff at the facility held educational and explanatory talks with the inmate aimed at making him aware of the consequences of his actions. Eight months later, the long-awaited day of release arrived. Before leaving, the man shared his story with the staff.
"My wife and I raised three sons. We had a happy family. We dreamed of our children growing up, of babysitting our grandchildren and rejoicing in our sons' successes. The children grew up and got an education. Our eldest son started a family, and we were already preparing for our middle son's wedding. But five years ago he died after a serious illness. It was a great grief for us. Later I drank alcohol and got behind the wheel of a car. For that I was deprived of my liberty. While I was already in the facility, I learned that my youngest son had also died. He died as a result of an accident at his home. Of my three sons, only the eldest remains," he said.
According to the man, today his wife, eldest son and three-year-old grandson are waiting for him at the gates of the facility. "I am very glad to be going home and to be close to my family again. I understand that I made a serious mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life. You can't turn back time, but I will do everything to avoid repeating my past mistakes, to value my loved ones and to be a good husband, father and grandfather," the inmate said.