Polyukhovich Family Cite Strain Of Three-year Trial

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday May 19, 1993

By MARYANN STENBERG

ADELAIDE: The family of an Adelaide pensioner acquitted of involvement in World War II atrocities against European Jews said last night that they did not know how the frail, elderly man had lived to survive the ordeal.

For seven years, the name Ivan Timofeyevich Polyukhovich was on a list of names held by the special investigations unit of the Director of Public Prosecutions, set up to investigate alleged European war crimes.

For three years, international media have carried his name and his photograph in Australia's first war crimes trial. Now, two days after a South Australian Supreme Court jury acquitted him of charges brought under Australia's war crimes legislation, his family said he wanted to again be plain John Polyukhovich, husband, father and retired carpenter.

Mr Polyukhovich, 77, and his family have refused to speak to reporters but the family agreed late yesterday to answer questions from the Herald put through his lawyers.

They said the personal cost to the family had been enormous. The strain and emotional upheaval had destroyed his health.

Court proceedings, both at committal stages and during his trial, had been interrupted as Mr Polyukhovich suffered two suspected heart arrests, gastroenteritis and high blood pressure.

At one stage, a doctor was required in court to monitor his blood pressure. In 1990, Mr Polyukhovich was hospitalised for three months. The defence has continued to deny prosecution allegations that the injury was part of a suicide attempt while Mr Polyukhovich was suffering from dementia and depression.

Throughout, he had remained largely impassive but was concerned when his wife, Maria, became distressed.

His family said he now wished to just live quietly tending his vegetable and flower gardens and looking after his bees in his north-western Adelaide home.

© 1993 Sydney Morning Herald

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