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Government issues formal apology over decades-old scandal
The Tasmanian government has publicly apologised for the unauthorised retention and display of human body parts taken from autopsies between 1966 and 1991, a practice that left families traumatised for decades.
Investigation uncovers systemic wrongdoing
A state inquiry revealed that 177 human specimens-including organs and tissue samples-were collected during autopsies and handed over to the University of Tasmania's RA Rodda Museum without the consent of families or coroners. The findings, released last September, pointed to pathologists actively sourcing the remains for the museum's collection.
State Coroner Simon Cooper identified the late forensic pathologist Dr Royal Cummings as the primary figure responsible, though he noted that predecessors and successors may have also participated in the practice.
Families describe lasting trauma
Several affected family members attended Tuesday's parliamentary session, where Health Minister Bridget Archer delivered the apology. She acknowledged the "enduring distress, anger, pain, grief and trauma" caused by the unauthorised retention of their loved ones' remains.
"These were not just body parts or specimens or human remains. They were people."
Bridget Archer, Tasmanian Health Minister
Cheryl Springfield, whose 14-year-old brother David Maher died in a 1976 car accident, welcomed the apology but stressed that further action was needed. "It's in the right direction, but it's not going to fix it all," she told local media. "It's been absolutely a nightmare from the moment we were told."
John Santi, whose older brother Tony died in a motorcycle accident the same year, expressed similar disbelief. "We buried him 50 years ago, only to find out 50 years later that these people had stolen his brain," he told the Australian Associated Press.
Museum's role and university response
The RA Rodda Pathology Museum, established in 1966 for medical teaching and research, removed the 177 specimens from display in 2018 following concerns raised in 2016 about unethical sourcing. The university's deputy vice-chancellor for health, Prof Graeme Zosky, issued a separate apology on Tuesday, recognising the "hurt and distress" caused to families.
"While we recognise an apology cannot fix the hurt and distress families have felt, we are sorry."
Prof Graeme Zosky, University of Tasmania
Legal and ethical context
Coronial autopsies in Tasmania are conducted to investigate unexpected, unusual, or custody-related deaths. The inquiry found that specimens were systematically diverted to the museum without proper oversight, violating ethical and legal standards of the time.
The government and university have committed to ongoing dialogue with affected families, though no specific reparations or further actions were announced during Tuesday's session.
