Process of identifying a body

[Stressedoutaboutinlaws]

Curious to know some detail about this process, without wanting to go into too much detail

Does it need to be a family member to formally identify a body? If a family member is easily available should they be contacted to do this?

Can the police themselves do the formal identifying? If the circumstances where that the deceased person was known to the police for various reasons, so would 'know' who it was, would they still need to contact the family member for the formal process?

Maybe take a look at your local Coroner's office website and see if there's any guidance there.

It depends. There may be enough evidence for the coroner to establish identity so visual identification is not required.

I was asked to identify a neighbour's body when the police couldn't contact a family member. They managed to get hold of his brother as I was getting dressed (it was 1am). This was in Wales.

From personal experience, it was family who Identified the body. We were taken to the mortuary by our FLO.

Formal visual identification was carried out but no family members contacted to do this. Police did it themselves to avoid traumatising family member apparently.

In scotland, very very small local community. So very possible that things have not been done correctly to procedure.

Should add that family member that was local and contactable, is not in any way 'fragile' to warrent the avoidance of doing the identification. And has carried out formal identification with same mortuary/police force in the past.

Stressedoutaboutinlaws
I'm also in Scotland. Was the death suspicious.

Here you go www.copfs.gov.uk/images/Documents/Deaths/The%20role%20of%20the%20Procurator%20Fiscal%20in%20the%20investigation%20of%20deaths%20-%20Information%20for%20bereaved%20relatives%20-%20June%2015.pdf. If you have more questions, I would contact the procurator fiscal’s office directly. The legislation will probably have more detail.

Possibly suspicious circumstances. Sudden and unexpected, and body found in an unexpected place.

Could all have very reasonable explanations as well, but the circumstances do leave a lot of questions.

My mum is the family member, and im pushing her to ask more questions about why its been done this way, i dont think its right at all. But dont really know what normal procedure is.

Has a post mortem examination been done?

We were taken to the mortuary within hours of the body been found.

Does it matter? Are you uncertain that the body has been identified correctly and may not be the person the police say that it is? Could the body be viewed in the chapel of rest or funeral home when released to the undertaker?

Post mortem being carried out tomorrow. But rural area means body is transported to another location for this.

Its not so much to do with any doubt for identification, its more the potential of covering up possible foul play.

No, my mum's next door neighbour identified the body when my mum died. There was no real reason to suspect it wasn't my mum and the neighbour had known her for years. But that was in Wales too.

As the PDF I linked you to says, no a family member does not have to identify the body. If you have suspicions, then please contact the procurator fiscals office and outline your concerns and fear of foul play if you think the police aren’t listening.

Post mortem results will give the cause of death.

Why do you fear a cover up of foul play?

Why would the police want to cover up foul play? (If I have read you correctly)
This sounds like a traumatic time for you and your DMum.

I've known it done this way when they didn't want family member to see body for acceptable reasons.

I dunno maybe im just being overly suspicious.

Just think that if foul play is covered up, then police have an easier job.

Person in question did not have the easiest life, issues with alcohol etc. So this is most likely cause of death. But also has had threats of assault recently. Feel like the police will jusy sign it off as the local alcoholic dying, and not want to investigate any further. Very rural area, small police force so will not be very experienced in investigating more complicated cases.

But as you say, cause of death will be outlined in post mortem so doesnt make sense for police to try and cover up.

Stop and have a second think. You know your area well, we don't but is it likely that the local police are trying to cover up a suspicious death? DO you have good grounds for thinking that?

Because to us out here, sat at our screens, it seems an bit of a weird leap when the more obvious reason is that tthe police knew he deceased and/or want to save your mum from something unpleasant.

I hope you get it worked out!

The police would only be able to “cover it up” if they have the pathologist (and two of them of it is a two doc pm) agree in the collusion. Which they won’t.

And it wouldn’t be the small, local police force investigating anyway, in all likelihood it would be the Major Inquiry Team.

Maybe they think your mum was involved and thus don’t want her anywhere near it?

My aunt's friend did the ID for my grandad, even though my aunt was in the next room. They were trying to spare her any distress.

For most people death/dead bodies is very sanitised. What we see on telly and at funerals,when the body has been cleaned,made to look as best as possible or not even visible.

Reality is a lot worse,especially with a body that is maintained in it's original state to preserve evidence. Also factors like being found in water, or a significant time period between passing and discovery , or exposure to the elements/wildlife can be very brutal on a body. No reason to traumatise family members if you are sure of their identity.