When 18 of Singapore’s death row inmates took their final steps to the gallows, Sister Gerard Fernandez walked by their side.
Over 40 years a death row counselor, Fernandez developed relationships with and comforted those condemned to die in a state where murder is punished by hanging.
“They face death with so much peace. That’s because we have been allowed to journey with them, encourage them, speak to them, lessen the fear of death,” she said.
Her charges have included high-profile murderers such as Catherine Tan, convicted in the 1981 Toa Payoh ritual murder, and Flor Contemplacion, who in 1991 killed a Filipino domestic worker along with her employer’s son.
Now 81, Fernandez talks about the unimaginable duty of her “special vocation” in Coconuts TV’s latest feature interview.
Hear about her experiences counseling Tan, Contemplacion and others – as well as her views on capital punishment.
Watch the full interview below.
More news from the Little Red Dot at Coconuts.co/Singapore.
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