00:00In 2016, the Tasmanian Coroner's Office was contacted by the R.A. Rodder Museum,
00:08which is part of the University of Tasmania.
00:11It revealed the museum held samples of human remains
00:15taken during coronial autopsies and given to the museum
00:19without the consent of family members or the coroner.
00:23An investigation has found the museum had 177 samples of human remains
00:30which had been obtained in this way between 1966 and 1991.
00:36Coroner Simon Cooper said it appears that now-dead forensic pathologist
00:41Dr. Royal Cummings was the person who provided the large majority
00:46of coronial specimens to the museum.
00:49He said it also appears that pathologists may have actively sourced specimens
00:54from coronial autopsies to give to the museum
00:57as well as providing specimens that had been originally retained for forensic purposes.
01:03Coroner Cooper found it was illegal for the specimens to have been kept
01:07and given to the museum without family consent, saying
01:11the expectation of families is and would have been
01:15that the body of their loved one is complete.
01:18The investigation involved complex record searches.
01:22And in April last year, Coroner Cooper went public.
01:25He released the names of people whose family members he hadn't been able to track down.
01:30All up, about 100 people were identified
01:33and their remains have been dealt with according to their family's wishes where possible.
01:38Albie's two-year-old daughter Amy died 40 years ago.
01:43He was shocked when he learned specimens were taken from her body and stored at the museum
01:48and says he wants further investigation.
01:51It would be nice to have somebody completely independent of the government
01:54to do an investigation to follow this right through to the end
01:58and then make sure that people are held accountable for what they've done to our loved ones.
02:04The University of Tasmania says it's deeply sorry for the hurt and sadness felt by people
02:10whose loved ones had their remains kept without consent.
02:13It says the practice no longer happens and hasn't for several decades.
02:18And people were worried about them.
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