Autopsies Conducted On 12 More Bodies Exhumed From Shakahola Forest
Twelve bodies of victims recovered from the Shakahola cult in Kilifi County have undergone post-mortem examinations with the autopsy report revealing most to be children.
According to Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor, out of the 12 autopsies conducted on the second day of the phase four operation, 7 of the bodies belonged to children while the rest were adults.
Dr. Oduor said most bodies had decomposed severely and they could not establish the gender and cause of death for all the victims.
He said six out of the 12 were identified as females, 4 as male while the sex of the two could not be established.
The Government Pathologist consequently noted that four people died due to starvation.
He likewise revealed that one of the bodies was relatively fresh because the victim died recently while in police custody.
Dr. Oduor explained that the post-mortem was delayed because the government was tracing his family but it has now been found.
Additionally, human rights defenders expressed concerns about the storage of the bodies due to the high number so far.
Haki Africa activist Mathias Shipeta urged the government to fasten the DNA matching to allow the release of some bodies to loved ones to create space.
“It was a shock to see over 400 people and we cannot tell how long the exhumations will continue. As we speak, there is a possibility that the storage facility in Malindi is almost full. We call upon the government now to focus on DNA matching because there may be no space left to accumulate the bodies,” Shipeta said.
The suspected cult linked to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church has seen the deaths of more than 425 people so far, with over 600 people still reported missing.
Mackenzie who is currently detained is accused of brainwashing his followers to starve themselves to death in order to "meet Jesus." BY CITIZEN DIGITAL
Post a Comment