Police-Baker Gang shootout victim’s body still lying in morgue after 7 months
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| Image for illustration only. For image text, go to https://www.thenational.com.pg/police-after-baker-aides/ (Police after Baker aides) |
Police-Tommy Baker Gang shootout victim’s body still lying in morgue after 7 months
PORT MORESBY: If any of your loved ones is innocently shot dead in a police shoot out with armed killers and robbers, how would you feel?
And then you are unable to claim his or her remains from the mortuary for seven months because of delays in completing post-mortems, how would you describe that?
Now, that’s really rubbing salt into one’s wounds, wouldn’t that be?
That’s what happened to the family of an 86-year-old woman who was caught in a crossfire between police and Tommy Baker gang members in Alotau last year.
Those responsible for delaying the release of the body of Rodha Dick simply do not see the urgency to respect the dead. We wonder how they would feel if the victim was one of their loved ones.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the details of the plight of Rodha’s family as reported by The National:
Son: We want to bury mum
By SYLVESTER WEMURUTHE body of an 86-year-old woman who was caught in a crossfire between police and Tommy Baker gang members last year is still lying in the Alotau Hospital mortuary – awaiting a second post-mortem.
Rodha Dick from Milne Bay’s Suau village was shot dead on Dec 6 in a shootout between the police and Baker’s gang of killers and robbers.
“It’s been more than seven months since my innocent mother was killed,” Napoleon Saevaru, pictured, told The National.
Rodha Dick from Milne Bay’s Suau village was shot dead on Dec 6 in a shootout between the police and Baker’s gang of killers and robbers.
“It’s been more than seven months since my innocent mother was killed,” Napoleon Saevaru, pictured, told The National.
Left: Napoleon Saevaru
“It’s so frustrating for me and my family to not able to perform the rites for her to rest in peace.
“We (family) were not satisfied with the first post-mortem that was conducted on Dec 18.
“The bullet that hit my mother was not removed. So, we requested for a second autopsy.
“The second post-mortem is to identify whether the bullet that hit my mother was from the police or Baker gang members.
“The Alotau district court magistrate has signed and approved for the second autopsy to be conducted on April 3, 2019. After three months, we are still waiting.”
Saevara said he had been going in and out of the Alotau police station but “no one seems to want to address our plight”.
“Seven months is too long to wait to give our mother a proper burial,” he added.
She was caught in the crossfire between police and Papua New Guinea’s notorious criminal Tommy Baker (who is still on the run) and his gang in Alotau last year.
Attempts to get comments from the Milne Bay acting police commander Insp Andrew Weda were unsuccessful.
“We (family) were not satisfied with the first post-mortem that was conducted on Dec 18.
“The bullet that hit my mother was not removed. So, we requested for a second autopsy.
“The second post-mortem is to identify whether the bullet that hit my mother was from the police or Baker gang members.
“The Alotau district court magistrate has signed and approved for the second autopsy to be conducted on April 3, 2019. After three months, we are still waiting.”
Saevara said he had been going in and out of the Alotau police station but “no one seems to want to address our plight”.
“Seven months is too long to wait to give our mother a proper burial,” he added.
She was caught in the crossfire between police and Papua New Guinea’s notorious criminal Tommy Baker (who is still on the run) and his gang in Alotau last year.
Attempts to get comments from the Milne Bay acting police commander Insp Andrew Weda were unsuccessful.
This is reality for a loved one to be given a decent burial..
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