Body parts and tissue samples of soldiers killed in Afghanistan have been kept without their families' permission, the Ministry of Defence has admitted.
Major General: 'Body parts taken from 30 service personnel since 2002'
Assistant Chief of the General Staff, Major General James Everard has told ITV News that body parts and tissue had been taken from 30 service personnel from the army, navy and the air force and that the practice had begun in 2002.
about 6 hours agoLord Dannatt: 'Allegations like these are very serious'
The former head of the Army, Lord Dannatt is quoted in the Daily Mail as saying in response to news of dead soldiers body parts being kept without permission:
If there are individuals responsible for allowing this type of thing to happen they must certainly be held to account.
Allegations like these are very serious and there must be an investigation. Everything must be done to see that this type of thing cannot be allowed to happen.
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about 7 hours agoMoD: Number of families affected is likely to be less than 60
According to the Ministry of Defence, the number of families affected is likely to be less than 60 because multiple samples were taken for each case.
A spokesperson said the RMP Special Investigations Branch (SIB) has also taken swift action to ensure this cannot happen again and are identifying the families affected as quickly as possible.”
A change inthe way the SIB liaised with families has been blamed for the mistakes whichresulted in consent not being achieved.
The MoD said that as soon as this oversight came to lightin July 2012 procedures were immediately changed.
about 7 hours agoMoD statement on tissue from soldiers' bodies being kept without permission
The Ministry of Defence has admitted that body parts and tissue from soldiers killed in Afghanistan have been kept without permission from their families.
“There are occasions when it is necessary for the RMP Special Investigations Branch to retain slides of forensic material from individuals killed on operations as part of their investigation, this is standard practice.
However, the RMP identified there were a small number of cases where this had been done without the correct processes being followed to inform families.
It is thought there could be 60 forensic items, such as microscope slides, containing material from some individuals.
– Army spokesman about 7 hours agoInvestigations are being carried out urgently into this matter.
The RMP Special Investigations Branch has also taken swift action to ensure this cannot happen again and are identifying the families affected as quickly as possible.
MoD kept soldiers' body parts without permission
The BBC reports that body parts and tissue from soldiers killed in Afghanistan have been kept without permission from their families.
About six body parts were found at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford, while more than 50 tissue samples were discovered at the Military Police's Special Investigations Branch at Bulford Garrison last month when a new manager was appointed.
An Army spokesman said there had been "a small number of cases" where procedure had not been followed.
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