Family Demands to View Daughter’s Body Before Autopsy -Writes Justice Ministry

MONROVIA – The family of the late Charloe Musu is requesting the Government of Liberia to allow them view their daughter’s remains before the conduct of the government’s pronounced ‘autopsy’ slated for Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

The family received a communication from the Ministry of Justice at 6:00PM last Friday, March 17, 2023, that an ‘autopsy’ on the body would be conducted on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, and that the family is only allowed to send one representative to witness the conduct of the autopsy.

The letter came barely 24 hours after grief-stricken family members staged a brief sit-in at the Ministry of Justice on Thursday, March 16, 2023, to, among other things, inquire why has the government taken possession/custody of their daughter, Charloe Musu’s body with no information or courtesy to the family.

They also demanded answers as to why the government is making major decisions on the body without the involvement of, or at least information to the family except through the social and traditional media; and why has the government chosen to ignore the family’s attempts or efforts through official communications, to seek clarification regarding all of the pronouncements concerning the murder and corpse of their daughter.

The family also demanded to know how did the government arrive at all of the decisions or actions about the body without their involvement or knowledge, and that they (family), until Friday, March 17, 2023, had not been made duly aware of the decision on the conduct of an autopsy, who the pathologist is, and how he/she was selected.

During the gathering at the Ministry of Justice, the family also revealed that the government surprisingly selected a funeral home (St. Moses) without the involvement or knowledge of the family.

They also repeated their concern about why the government, through the Minister of Justice and Police Inspector General, instructed the management of St. Moses Funeral Home to prevent the family from seeing the body of their daughter.

However, in their response/reply dated March 20, 2023, to the Justice Ministry’s March 17, 2023 letter, the family demands that as per their March 4 & 13, 2023 communications to government, followed by an inquiry visit to the Ministry of Justice, they still request/demand to view the remains/corpse of their daughter, sibling and relative, Charloe Musu, before the conduct of the autopsy, and that during the viewing, they (family) be allowed to do photographs and videography of the corpse.

The family has also requested/demanded the Profile/Qualifications of the Pathologist(s) be made available to them before the conduct of the autopsy, the autopsy be videotaped and a copy of the video be given to the family, and that the family be allowed to send two representatives instead of one to witness the conduct of the autopsy.

The letter, signed by the head of the Musu family, Bishop Julius C. Musu, also requests/demands that a copy of the Coroner’s Report from the Examination conducted on February 27, 2923 in the presence of two members of the family be made available before the conduct of the autopsy.

Meanwhile, the Musu family has informed the government through the Ministry of Justice that they reserve the right to conduct or cause the conduct of their own autopsy on the remains of their daughter, sibling and relative–Charloe Musu if the need arises.

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