Father in fear of future killed his disabled sons

The Age

Tuesday August 18, 2009

Paul Millar

A LAWYER representing a Rosebud family in a discrimination case said it was a tragedy to hear that a father and his two sons, who both had cerebral palsy and were deaf, had died in a double murder-suicide.Julie Phillips said it was a sad situation when a father became so concerned about how his two adult sons would cope after he died that he took his and their lives.The bodies of Eddie Travaglia, 54, and his sons, Leigh, 30, and David, 27, were discovered at Mr Travaglia senior's home on Sunday.Ms Phillips, from Access Law, was pursuing a discrimination claim for the family in the Federal Court relating to the brothers' living conditions at a community residential unit in Mornington.Also included in the claim against the Department of Human Services and service provider Kindilan Society are allegations of inappropriate behaviour and suggestions that the men's carers were not trained in sign language."I've known Eddie for about two years and I've known him to be a devoted father," Ms Phillips said. "One can only wonder at the circumstances that led a father to think that he and his sons would be better off dead."Police said they were treating the matter as a double murder-suicide.A police statement said investigators were not looking for a fourth party. -- PAUL MILLAR

© 2009 The Age

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