Police investigate corpse�s missing leg

Bonte Seepi | Monday January 11, 2016 13:16

 

Acting Officer Commanding No. 2 District, Superintendent Olefile Badisang, confirmed to The Monitor that they have such a case.

“On the 29th of December 2015, we received a report from Roscla Funeral Services that a leg of a 75-year-old corpse was missing. From the narration that we got from the deceased’s family, the old man died on December 23 at his home village of Chadibe and he was taken to Sefhare Primary Hospital where he was certified dead by the medical doctors,” explained Badisang.

According to the police, the corpse was then taken to Lyns Funeral Parlour at Mahalapye where it stayed until December 29. On the said date, the corpse was transferred to Roscla where the family and the employees of the mortuary realised that the corpse was minus one leg.

“From what we hear from the family, the corpse arrived at Roscla still  covered in the same sheet when it first left home for the hospital. The family discovered the leg was missing when, as is tradition, they started to dress the deceased in his clothes ahead of the final send-off.

Badisang said they have so far managed to interview employees at both Lyns and Roscla mortuaries and they all denied knowing the whereabouts of the leg.

However, the police boss said they have since agreed with the family of the deceased to carry on with the funeral arrangements.

“The family was reluctant to bury their corpse without it leg, but we managed to convince them to do so to avoid a situation whereby the corpse will stay for long in the mortuary. We agreed with them to continue with the funeral while the police continue with the investigations. If by chance, the leg could be located, we will take another decision. The funeral went on in Chadibe this past Saturday. Badisang said.

 Meanwhile, he advised families to always take care of their corpses and always check if they have their full body parts while at the mortuaries. He also urged the mortuaries to introduce body inventory whereby the corpses will be checked in the presence of their families when they arrive and when they leave, adding that such a process could avoid cases of missing body parts that could later on tarnish their names.When contacted for comment, Spuni Motswagole at Lyns, refused to comment on the matter.

“There is nothing I can say to you. This issue is beyond me so it better you leave your contacts with me. Maybe I can call you later,” said Motswagole.Roscla Director, Orapeleng Orapeleng, on the other hand said the corpse was brought to them without the leg.

He said together with the family of the deceased, they realised upon the arrival of the corpse at Roscla that the leg, from the knee down, was missing.

“Though our driver together with the family members are the ones who went to collect the corpse, they did not touch it in Mahalapye. Lyns employees did everything, including putting the corpse in the carrier box. From what our driver told the police and us, he never touched the corpse. And he was with the family of the deceased throughout until they reached Sefhare mortuary where it was realised that§ the corpse had no leg,” said Orapeleng.

He said the awkward incident taught them a lesson to always check corpses in the presence of parents to avoid inconveniences later. He said such incidents are a big blow to their businesses as they are now labelled unpleasant names like ‘digopela batho’ (human flesh harvesters.