Johannesburg - When Paul Nothnagel shot his two teenager daughters several times as they sat next to their mother, in his irrational mind he was doing the right thing.
The suicidal man, who was dealing with unresolved grief after his divorce, stopped seeing 18-year-old Chane and 13-year-old Mischke as individuals separate from himself, viewing them rather as extensions of his own being.
And in his irrational mind they were feeling the same pain he was feeling and when he killed himself to escape it, they had to die, too, as they were part of him.
While many people have speculated at what could have driven a seemingly loving father to act like a psychopath by killing his own daughters, Dr Willie Strydom has offered this theory of what could have happened.
He said what Nothnagel did on Thursday could be viewed as extended suicide.
Strydom is a therapist, a trauma counsellor and chief executive of Rainbows for All Children, an NGO that focuses on the healing process for adults and children after a life-altering event.
As a trauma counsellor, he was called to Mulbarton Hospital on Thursday, where Nothnagel’s eldest daughter Chane was taken after being shot. However, he arrived to find that the teenager had died before she could get medical help.
He later heard that Nothnagel was a loving father.
Strydom also heard rumours that although the Nothnagel divorce was finalised a month ago, Paul was still hoping that Linda would take him back.
He heard that while Nothnagel had killed his daughters and himself, he only wounded his former wife.
Strydom believes that the actions were a result of unresolved grief.
He said thousands of studies showed that unresolved grief after a loss such as divorce had a very negative and often destructive impact on a person’s life.
Had Nothnagel dealt with what happened in a healthy way or even sought help, he said, maybe the tragedy could have been avoided.
The sisters will be buried on Wednesday, while Nothnagel’s funeral will take place on Thursday.
For help on how to cope after a life-changing event, visit www.rainbows.org.za
The Star