Parents break silence after bringing home bodies of 3 young MH17 victims
The bodies of three young children and their grandfather, all of whom were on board the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, have returned home to Australia.
Mo, Evie and Otis Maslin (aged 12, 10 and 8 respectively), and their grandfather Rick Norris were on their way home to Perth after a holiday in Amsterdam when the plane they were in was shot down over Ukrainian airspace.
Anthony Maslin and Marite Norris – the parents of Mo, Evie and Otis – brought the bodies home to Perth last Thursday, and also broke their silence on their loss in a statement released through Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Sunday.
It was previously reported that the parents had remained in Amsterdam for an extended holiday in July as their children and Marite's father returned home earlier for the start of the new school year.
Anthony was also reported as having been on indefinite leave from his job as managing director of Western Australia-based mining company, Buxton Resources, since the tragedy.
The grieving parents' official statement reads as follows:
“We have brought home the bodies of our children, Mo, Evie and Otis Maslin from the Netherlands, along with their grandfather, Nick Norris. For the last three months, they have been lying in a cold room on the other side of the world.
“Reconciling this fact with the knowledge that our children are here with us, spiritually, every moment is one of the most relentless and agonising difficulties of our current life.
“Our love and respect for our children remains unlimited and unconditional. It will never weaken – our children have been our entire world.
“We have been two of the luckiest and happiest people on the planet. What remains for us now is to honour our children.
“We honour Mo – his wisdom, his compassionate heart, and his total selflessness. Mo is peaceful and inclusive. Mo can accept people of all ages and backgrounds, make them feel special, and have them know they are with someone extraordinary.
“We honour Evie and her boundless, unlimited love. She is empathetic, beautiful, funny, artistic and creative. Her gentle spirit, warmth and absolute kindness are recognised by all who know her.
“We honour Otis and his complete and humbling fascination with all things outdoors, big and small, near and far. Oti provides all of us with carefree joy and laughter – perhaps the most powerful gift of all.
“Our children were taken from us by a war in which we, and our country had no part. It is impossible to understand the reason they were blown out of the sky.
“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.
“No hate in the world is as strong as the love we have for our children, for Mo, for Evie, for Otis.
“No hate in the world is as strong as the love we have for Grandad Nick.
“No hate in the world is as strong as the love we have for each other.
“Thanks to DFAT and their international support team. Thanks also to our friends and our family for their support and love. Love, only love, it is all we have left.” – October 21, 2014.
