Mom gets custody back--now that kids are dead (Melbourne, Australia)

You want a working definition of true arrogance? Check out the family of killer dad RAJ OSBORN. Osborn battered the mother, threatened to kill her if she tried to get custody of the children, then shut off all contact after she fled the home. But it still wasn't the total control that this custodial Daddy craved, so he gunned all three children in cold blood, then offed himself. He told the police, family, and friends of his intentions. Nobody intervened, because he was such a "happy" and "good" guy, so they just didn't believe it you know. (Note that you have to read all the news articles to get the back story, which we have here at Dastardly Dads.)

After all that, his skanky family decided that THEY should have the right to dictate where these children were buried (with the father who murdered them no less). Well, it seems the coroner summoned up the courage to tell Daddy's family "no", and will be sending the children back to their mother for their funerals. Too bad other officials in Australia and New Zealand didn't have the guts to tell Daddy "no" when those children were still alive.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/3600393/Slain-children-to-return

Slain children to return
By MARYANNE TWENTYMAN - Waikato Times Last updated 13:00 20/04/2010

The family of three children shot dead by their father are now preparing to lay their bodies to rest in the Waikato.

Following the April 10 murder-suicide, a bitter battle over the children's bodies took place between the family of their father and their mother, who wanted to bring the bodies home to the Waikato.

"I spoke with my niece in Australia and she told me the coroner had ruled in her favour and I can tell you I am overjoyed," the children's great-aunt, Irene Kumar, said.

The children were born in New Zealand and lived in Hamilton and Dunedin. Their great-aunt is now praying that Mr Osborne's family does not appeal the decision which could further delay the bodies coming home.

"But we are going ahead with plans for their burial and we have a couple of options in terms of which marae is used but that decision is ultimately up to their (the children's) mother," Mrs Kumar said.

Raj Osborne is believed to have shot his three children – Asia, 12, Darius, 10, and Grace, 7 – before turning the gun on himself in their Melbourne North home earlier this month.

The children's mother separated from Mr Osborne more than two years ago and since then the children had lived with their father and his new girlfriend and also his mother, Rameshwari Devi.

It was Mrs Devi who was last week fighting to have her grandchildren buried in Australia with her son.

The children's mother, who declined to be named, is hoping to hear by tomorrow on whether she can travel back to New Zealand with the bodies of her children. "Until then it's a nervous wait," Mrs Kumar said.

Now the family must face their next battle – raising the $60,000 to pay to bring the bodies back to New Zealand and for funeral costs.

"Victim Support have been really good advising me on which authorities to contact but because the children have lived in Australia for five years it is difficult to get the assistance we need," Mrs Kumar said. She was finding it "really tough" to raise the necessary funds as her family did not have the "financial means" to raise the money.

"We are investigating various avenues but it's definitely a big hurdle," she said.