The Independent Civil Society Union of Liberia (ICSUL) has joined calls for the release of the findings of the February 27, 2023 Coroner’s examination on the remains of the late Charloe Musu.
The physical (coroner) examination was conducted by Augustine B. Ricks, Coroner of Montserrado County.
The bereaved family recently decried what they termed as the refusal by the Government of Liberia to release the coroner’s examination report on the body of their daughter.
The family, in a release issued Sunday, April 2, 2023, said their suspicion and frustration grew in the wake of strange discoveries on the body of their daughter during the conduct of the recent autopsy, and the government’s refusal to release the coroner’s report or share a copy with them since February 27, 2023.
This position, as expressed by the family, has been echoed by the Independent Civil Society Union of Liberia, considering the family’s revelation that on Tuesday March 21, 2023, they viewed the front part of Charloe’s body at the St. Moses Funeral Parlor along with members of the press/media and civil society before the conduct of the autopsy, but the pathologist refused to allow them view the back side of the body.
The civil society group described as very disturbing, the family’s assertions that during the conduct of the autopsy, the pathologist finally turned the body around, at which time it was discovered that the late Charloe’s under pants (backings) were removed and part of her hair extracted from her head, amid the political conspiracy theory by the ruling CDC that Cllr. Scott killed the girl for ritual purposes.
ICSUL also wants government, civil society and human rights groups, and international partners take seriously further claims by the family that the Pathologist Benedict Kulee had earlier refused to allow them view the full body of the deceased, and that the strange discoveries on the body were made after he said the report of the autopsy would have been released in two weeks because of the toxicology examination which would be done from a reference lab out of Liberia, and that the autopsy conducted by him is scientific and the result will be the same even if done by other pathologists.
The Independent Civil Society Union wondered why does it appear difficult for the government to release the coroner’s examination report for more than a month since the examination was done on February 27, 2023, but it was so easy to release preliminary report of the autopsy immediately following its conduct on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in which the pathologist said that the cause of death was “severe bleeding or loss of blood as a result of multiple stabbing.”
The civil society group also agrees with the family that the delay or refusal by the government to release the coroner’s report or share a copy with the family, leaves enough grounds to believe that the physical examination conducted by the coroner of Montserrado County on the body did not find the extraction of her hair and other strange things the family noticed during the conduct of the autopsy.
Meanwhile, the civil society organization has called on government through the Ministry of Justice, to treat the bereaved family with respect and dignity, and stop keeping vital information away from them to the point that they will practically have to push and/or beg for information that they should know or have as the investigation goes on.
The Independent Civil Society Union of Liberia also wants government reduce the trauma and mental anguish of the family by releasing the body of their daughter for a befitting burial since both the physical and scientific examinations have been concluded.
The group said the length of time the investigation would go on should not prevent the family from burying their daughter, as her restless body lying in the funeral home remains a constant reminder and refresher of their grief and agony on a daily basis.
