Repatriation changes
Volume 11, No. 47, July 13, 2006

Honour: Pte Jake Kovco returns home to a 3RAR honour guard. Photo by LAC Rod Welch.

FURTHER improvements will be made to the ADF’s repatriation procedures following the completion of the Cosson report, CDF ACM Angus Houston has announced.
Brig Liz Cosson, assisted by an independent medical specialist Professor Donald Sheldon, was appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the mishandling of the repatriation of Pte Jake Kovco’s body from the Middle East.
ACM Houston said Brig Cosson found that the failure to repatriate the body of Pte Kovco was a direct result of two fundamental errors in the repatriation process:

• the wrong body was produced by civilian mortuary staff for identification; and
  
• the body produced was incorrectly identified as being Pte Kovco.
  

“The inquiry also found weaknesses in ADF policy and procedures for mortuary affairs which created conditions conducive to failure,” ACM Houston said.

“As a result of her findings, I have accepted all of the report’s 28 recommendations which will further enhance the ADF’s procedures for handling the remains of ADF personnel who die whilst on duty overseas.
“As CDF my focus is on ensuring this error doesn’t occur again and I’m firmly committed to implementing the recommendations of this report.

“A copy of the final Cosson report has been provided to the Kovco family and once again I apologise to them for the distress this error has caused them.”

While awaiting the Cosson report, ACM Houston directed immediate changes to the ADF’s repatriation process, some of which have also been recommended by Brig Cosson. These included: wherever practicable, bodies of ADF personnel will be carried on military aircraft, at least two ADF personnel will accompany a body being returned to Australia, and where possible, Defence will also avoid using non-military mortuaries in the Middle East.

The Cosson report has been provided to the Board of Inquiry investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Pte Kovco and subsequent repatriation. The board will now consider the evidence and may make recommendations as part of their deliberations.

A copy of the executive summary and the findings and recommendations of the Cosson report can be obtained from www.defence.gov.au/publications/kovco.pdf