Corporal Douglas Hughes It could take some time for the Solicitor-General to decide whether to order an inquest into Corporal Dougie Hughes’ death. The soldier's mother Venus Poa wants Michael Heron to use his powers under the Coroners Act to order an inquest into the circumstances of her son's death in Afghanistan in April last year. Corporal Hughes took his own life, and his family say he was struggling with his sexuality, felt he had been bullied and harassed about it, and had just been harshly rejected by a soldier he had feelings for. Coroner Gordon Matenga declined to open an inquest because he was satisfied the death had been dealt with by a Defence Force Court of Inquiry – which is suppressed. The Solicitor-General's office is carrying out a "thorough" review, and a spokeswoman says such matters take some time before a decision is made. “There is often a large amount of work to be done before we are in a position to be able to make a decision.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 3rd July 2013 - 11:09am