Family at war over Kovco death ruling: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 13 Feb 2007: 5.
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Abstract
Kovco’s mother [Judy Kovco] believes there has been a cover-up over the death of her son in Baghdad in April, and says that, contrary to the finding of a military inquiry, he did not shoot himself while skylarking. She wants a full-scale coronial inquiry to clear her son’s name.
Judy Kovco’s military lawyer, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Holles, said the difficulties between [Shelley Kovco] and Judy Kovco, which could be seen as a typical relationship between a mother and daughter-in- law, added to the sadness of Kovco’s death.
Judy Kovco believes the truth must be told, while Shelley Kovco believes no inquiry is “going to bring [Jake Kovco] back” and says: “It needs to be over.”
Full Text
THE family of Jake Kovco, the first Australian military casualty in Iraq, remain divided over how he died and whether there should be a coronial inquiry.
Kovco’s mother Judy believes there has been a cover-up over the death of her son in Baghdad in April, and says that, contrary to thefinding of a military inquiry, he did not shoot himself while skylarking. She wants a full-scale coronial inquiry to clear her son’s name.
In contrast, Kovco’s wife Shelley believes there was no cover-up and that it is time to move on.
Relations between the two women have deteriorated to the point where it is impossible for them to talk about the man they both loved.
“Shelley has her beliefs, I have mine,” Judy Kovco says. “We don’t talk about them. I don’t deny it makes me angry.”
Judy Kovco maintains her son knew guns too well to shoot himself. “There was no way known he would have pointed a gun to his head while he was cleaning it. No way known.”
She maintains the official explanation from the Australian Defence Force changed over time and that the army had overly influenced her daughter-in-law.
“It was just one lie after another … I have no faith in the army right now,” she says. “None whatsoever. It makes me angry that they’ve brainwashed her virtually.”
But Shelley Kovco believes “there’s no way” there was a cover- up. “We have our family, and we have the army as a family as well.”
She expresses frustration at her mother-in law’s behaviour.
“You know what she’s like,” she says. “It’s very hard. We can’t even talk about Jake … I feel I can’t even bring Jake’s name up.”
Judy Kovco’s military lawyer, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Holles, said the difficulties between Shelley and Judy Kovco, which could be seen as a typical relationship between a mother and daughter-in- law, added to the sadness of Kovco’s death.
“They both clearly and obviously loved Jake very, very much,” he says. “But they’re not loving him together, they’re loving him in separate ways, and it’s a tragedy on a tragedy.”
Judy Kovco believes the truth must be told, while Shelley Kovco believes no inquiry is “going to bring Jake back” and says: “It needs to be over.”