09/08/2012

Soldiers' Body Parts Kept Without Permission

The Ministry of Defence has admitted that body parts and tissue from soliders killed in Afghanistan have been kept without permission from their families.

Around six body parts and more than 50 tissue samples were found when a new manager was appointed at the Military Police's Special Investigations Branch.

An Army spokesman said there had been "a small number of cases" where procedure had not been followed.

The discovery was made last month when body parts were found at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the tissue samples were discovered at the SIB at Bulford Garrison in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

The SIB is now trying to identify families affected as soon as possible, with the number of families affected likely to be less than 60 as multiple samples were taken for each case.

"There are occasions when it is necessary for the RMP Special Investigations Branch to retain slides of forensic material from individuals killed on operations as part of their investigation - this is standard practice," a spokesman said.

"However, the RMP identified there were a small number of cases where this had been done without the correct processes being followed to inform families."

Investigations into the matter were being carried out urgently, the spokesman added.

(H)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

18 April 2007
Inquiry launched into Sellafield organ removal
An inquiry has been launched into claims that body parts and tissue was removed from the bodies of nuclear workers at Sellafield without their families knowledge. It has been alleged that the workers, who had been employed at the Cumbria plant in the 1960s and 1970s had tissues, bones and body parts removed.
07 June 2010
Date Set For Bradford Deaths' Case
A provisional trial date has been set for a man accused of murdering three women in the Bradford area. 40-year-old Stephen Griffiths, of Thornton Road, Bradford, appeared at the city's crown court via video link from Wakefield Prison, as a provisional date of 16 November was set.
10 March 2015
Laptop And Other Items Belonging To Becky Watts Recovered
Police investigating the murder of 16-year-old Becky Watts have recovered a laptop, a tablet computer and a mobile phone belonging to the teenager. The Bristol teen was reported missing on 19 February, sparking a major police search operation.
05 March 2015
Stepbrother Of Becky Watts Charged With Murder
The stepbrother of 16-year-old Becky Watts has been charged with murder. Nathan Matthews, 28, has been remanded in custody and is due to appear before Bristol Crown Court on 2 April. His girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, was also remanded in custody.
17 August 2015
Torso And 'Other Body Parts' Found On Blackpool Beach
A decomposed torso and "other body parts" have been found on a beach in Blackpool. Lancashire Police have reported that the discovery was made just before 9am on Sunday in Queen's Promenade, opposite the junction with Cavendish Road. The gender of the victim is not yet known.