The families are now looking
for answers after the news from the Wiltshire coroner that
a date for the hearing has
still not been set. This comes despite being told in January
that the inquest would be around September.
Mrs Chapman said: "I am incensed at how long it is
taking to find out the details of how my brother died.
"The grieving process cannot be completed until the
inquest process has been and in today's society is it really
acceptable that families are left to wait until such questions
are answered?"
Wiltshire took over the task of dealing with military inquests
from Oxfordshire coroners in April. North Wiltshire MP James
Gray has several times asked for extra funding for the Wiltshire
coroners office in The House
of Commons. He said: "These guys are giving their lives
for the nation and to keep the families waiting is outrageous.
There is still quite a backlog. It gets bigger every day.
Extra
funding is needed today."
Wiltshire coroner David Masters said he has been having
meetings with Jack Straw and the Ministry of Justice to try
to arrange extra funding. He said: "I recognise that
there is a delay because of funding but there is a considerable
amount of work being
done. I wanted to assure the families that I am trying to
bring it to a conclusion. At the next pre-inquest review
I will fix a date for the inquest itself but I am waiting
on the MoD to say when
that can be."
This has led families to ask why there is not a separate
military inquest service. Mrs Chapman said: "Military
inquests should be dealt with by separate bodies. A growing
swell of people are asking
questions."
Mrs Chapman is now concerned that the wait for the inquest
will hit the three-year point. She said: "If that happens
then I start to shout and jump up and down. I will let everyone
know how damaging
the Government is and how disrespectful it is to the welfare
of military
families. We are all finding it extremely frustrating
to be in a state of limbo.
"I think the Government is
to blame. Some information is not allowed into the public
domain because of security
but I have every faith in David Masters."
Sgt O'Connor,
who was know as Bob by his friends and family, was part of
the RAF's 47 Squadron, which supports the Special
Forces. The 38-year-old lived in Lyneham and had founded
the Swindon branch of the Youth (ten-pin) Bowling Club in
1990 with his
partner Col Knight whom he was due to marry on his return
from Iraq.
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