Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator
( L - R ) Gause, Vassell
Claims that shoddy post-mortems were compromising police investigations have strained the relationship between government pathologists and the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI).
In at least one case, state minister for national security, Arthur Williams, intervened to defuse the tension.
In an interview with The Gleaner recently, acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Granville Gause, who heads the BSI, expressed frustration with autopsy procedures. He disclosed that on at least four occasions, pathologists had left bullets inside bodies after completing post-mortems.
Bullets must be retrieved
"This thing must stop now. If we cannot retrieve the bullets from the bodies, then the forensic experts will not be able to say which or whose gun the bullet came from," the veteran investigator said.
He was speaking against the background of an incident last Thursday, when a post-mortem was held for Traverton Phillips, 39, and Everton Dawes, 47. They were controversially killed by the policelast month in Riversdale, St Catherine.
The deaths sparked a mass demonstration for two days in the community. Three constables have so far been implicated in the con-troversial killing.
"After the post-mortem on Thursday, the pathologist was able to remove the bullets from one of the bodies, but he claimed a shot was lodged in the spine of the other body and it was difficult for it to be removed," said Gause, who reported the matter to the junior security minister last Friday.
Dr Majorie Vassell, who was an independent observer at the post-mortem, told The Gleaner that pathologists must be given the tools to operate efficiently.
Commenting on the specific case cited by Gause, Vassell said the pathologist made some attempts to remove the bullet from the body, but the bullet was embedded in a deep, large bone.
"Sometimes it is very difficult for the pathologist to remove bullets from bodies, especially when the body has not been X-rayed to see where the bullet is," said Vassell.
Williams, who spoke with The Gleaner last Friday, said that particular case about which the police complained had been partially dealt with.
"Arrangement has been made for the body to be X-rayed and the post-mortem redone," Williams said.
Reacting to the police comments that the pathologists were "sloppy", Williams said the police had some valid concerns, which he would be investigating.
