Shot Irish soldier’s family upset at suicide verdict

THE family of an Irish soldier found shot dead inside a secure base in Afghanistan last September are “upset” at a US Army finding that she committed suicide.

Ciara Durkin, a 30-year-old corporal in the American National Guard and originally from Galway, died in mysterious circumstances, from a single gunshot to the back of the head.

The Pentagon initially reported Cpl Durkin had been killed in action, but later revised its statement to say that she had died of injuries from a “non-combat-related incident”.

Following mounting international pressure, including representations from the Irish Government, the Pentagon was forced to conduct a full-scale military investigation. The finding of the investigation, which had been expected to conclude early last December, was delivered to Cpl Durkin’s family at the weekend. The report ruled Cpl Durkin had committed suicide. The family previously discounted rumours she may have killed herself.

Their daughter, the family insist, was never shy when it came to talking about how she felt. The soldier, it emerged, had been extremely upbeat on her final visit home, three weeks before her death.

It was a well-known fact Cpl Durkin was a lesbian and was engaged to be married to her longtime partner last February.

The family had declined to discuss her death until the military investigation was complete, but yesterday broke their silence to voice their “upset” at the finding.

In a statement on their memorial website yesterday, the family said they were “very upset and saddened” by the army’s conclusion.

“We have borne an extraordinary amount of pain over the past nine months, compounded by a protracted and at times ambiguous investigation. We now need time and privacy to grieve, and let our Ciara finally rest in peace,” the family said.

Cpl Durkin’s sister, Fiona Canavan, who lives in the US, said her sister told her that if anything should happen to her in Afghanistan the family should insist on a full US Army investigation.

While Cpl Durkin was on leave early last September, she spent time with her family in the US, where she reportedly told her sister of unearthing “some things” that caused her concern.

These revelations have caused concerns within the Pentagon, amid claims that the soldier could have been killed to prevent her from talking about practices she may have uncovered.

The family plans to respond to the US Army.