Doctor says autopsy OK'd by relatives

Doctor says autopsy OK'd by relatives

JAKARTA (JP): A forensic expert dismissed on Thursday the
allegation that doctors unlawfully performed an autopsy on murder
victim Fernando Helio Parada, saying the autopsy was approved by
the victim's family.

"The family said in a letter that they agreed to the autopsy.
But the letter was taken by those who ran amok at the morgue on
Monday.

"So we don't have any real evidence. But several staffers
witnessed the signing of the approval letter," said Budi
Sampurna, a forensic expert at Cipto Mangunkusumo General
Hospital in Central Jakarta.

Some 40 people vandalized the morgue on Monday, following the
autopsy on Fernando, a 30-year-old parking coordinator at the
Bengkel Night Park in South Jakarta who was stabbed to death
after he reportedly demanded money from the occupants of a
vehicle.

The relatives of the victim were said to be enraged because
they believed an autopsy had been performed on Fernando without
their consent.

Relatives of Fernando, including reputed gang leader Hercules,
filed a complaint with the police on Monday against the hospital
for what they called an unauthorized autopsy.

However, Article 133 of the Criminal Code Procedures requires
an autopsy be performed on murder victims as evidence for the
police investigation and trial.

"So the family's consent was not necessary for the autopsy,"
said Budi. (07)