Triple killing: family want children in NZ

Asia (from left), Jarius and Grace Osborne with their grandmother. The family wants the children returned to the Waikato for burial.

The grieving family of three children killed by their father in Melbourne are fighting to have their bodies returned to New Zealand.

It was revealed last night that the three slain Osborne children had strong links to New Zealand, and that the family lived here for five years, until 2004.

The victims - Asia, 12, Jarius, 10, and Grace, 7 - were found shot dead at their north Melbourne home at 1.15pm on Saturday.

The father of the children, Raj Osborne, was also found dead, apparently having killed the children before taking his own life. His former partner, the children's mother, has family in Huntly, and wants to see her children returned to Taupiri, in Waikato, for burial, her aunt Irene Kumar told the Herald last night.

Mrs Kumar, from Hamilton, was last night mourning the loss of her niece's three children, and wishing she could be in Australia to help fight for their return to New Zealand.

"If I had a passport I would be over there trying to get them back, too."

The youngsters had been born in New Zealand and all felt strong ties to Huntly, Mrs Kumar said.

Though she had not seen the "beautiful" children for at least a couple of years, Mrs Kumar was anxious to see them buried with their younger sibling Aroha - who died of cot death about five years ago, aged three months.

Mrs Kumar was last night struggling to comprehend the murders.

"I am just devastated. I called them my grandchildren, too."

The woman and her former partner had lived in New Zealand for around five years, between 1999 and 2004. They lived in Hamilton for a while, before moving to Dunedin.

They later shifted to Melbourne with their three children after Aroha's death.

The couple had subsequently separated.

Mrs Kumar's son Moko Tauariki, who also came to know Mr Osborne very well, said he enjoyed being in New Zealand.

He had got to know Raj well, and believed he had enjoyed his time working in New Zealand.

Mr Osborne had never showed any "concerning" signs towards the children, he said.

"Raj was a good fella. He was really good with the kids ... there was no need to be concerned. So you can imagine the big shock when we heard what [had] happened."

Mr Tauariki said their family would be getting together and talking about bringing back the children's bodies, as well as coming together to support his cousin.

Mr Tauariki paid tribute to the youngsters killed.

"Asia was really quiet, really intelligent for her age and very caring. She was always very caring of Jarius and Grace - the big sister sort of thing," Mr Tauariki said.

"Jarius was a little mischief - the typical boy. And Grace, she was so cute. She was this little Cabbage Patch kid - a real daddy and mummy's girl."

It was reported in Australia yesterday that Mr Osborne had told close friends he would kill his three children and himself - but he was not believed.

Melbourne's Herald-Sun said he had suffered depression and believed the children would not survive without him.

But his sister, Arumesh, told the paper she could not believe he had carried out the killings.

"He never showed those problems. He never drank. He never smoked. As far as I know, he had no enemies."

Another sister, Roshnmi Pischioneri, was also struggling to understand what had happened.

"My brother was a good man, a very good brother.

"He loves his kids. I lost my family. I lost my brother.

"Poor kids - I lose them. I just want to be alone."