MH17 parents of Maslin children say end this pointless war

THE parents of the three Maslin children, who were killed on Flight MH17, have begged for an end to a pointless war in Ukraine.

THE parents of the three Maslin children, who were killed when Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July, have begged for an end to a pointless war “in which we, and our country, had no part’’.

In a statement issued through the Department of Foreign ­Affairs and Trade following the arrival in Perth of the bodies of Mo, 12, Evie, 10, and Otis, 8, and their grandfather Nick Norris, 68, Anthony Maslin and Marite Norris called for respect for their children’s memory, and thanked DFAT for bringing them home, and their friends and family for their support and love.

“For the last three months, they have been lying in a cold room on the other side of the world,’’ the family said. “Our lives are an ongoing hell. The pain we are enduring is unfathomable, and we grieve alongside families in the Ukraine, The Netherlands, Russia, Malaysia, Australia and elsewhere. Please respect our children’s memory, and stop this pointless war.”

All 298 passengers and crew on board Flight MH17, including 38 Australians, died when it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile on July 17.

The Maslins were among several MH17 victims whose remains arrived at the Melbourne Coroners Court on Thursday after being flown aboard an RAAF transport plane from Eindhoven in The Netherlands.

The bodies remained in Melbourne for about 48 hours while the Victorian Coroner completed identification procedures and issued death certificates, before being handed over to loved ones.

The Australian understands the bodies of all but two Australian victims have now been identified, and 27 bodies have been repatriated.