On the 11th September 2025 Coroner Simon Cooper released his final report and formal findings of his Coronial Project investigation into human remains retained without consent following autopsies by the R.A. Rodda Museum.

View or download the Coronial Project Final Report as a pdf here.

The historic and unlawful actions which saw samples of human remains stolen and kept from coronial autopsiesis a devastating breach of trust, and a failure of governance and oversight by public institutions.

These revelations have rocked many people’s confidence in our civic institutions whom we all rely on.

I have consistently been on the recrd calling for a formal state apology for the failings of our publicinstitutions during the time these unlawful practices were occuring.  While the wrong-doing may be historic, the pain and trauma, exacrbated by the 2025 coronial investigation processes remains current and ongoing.

However, I have also been adamant that such a state apology is not the end of the matter.

The state apology needed to also acknowledge the retraumatising impact inflicted upon families by the 2025 publication of names and the subsequent Coronial Project investigation – which unfortunately caused additional harm to already devastated and grieiving people.  Particullry thse who were enied the opportunity to reclaim and repatriate the stolen body part of their loved one.

Additional to an Apology, it is my position that the state government should also consider establishing a form of redress or compensation scheme for current affected family members.

I formally put this call for consideration of a redress scheme on the public record during my Budget-in-Reply speech of 27 May 2026:

“I reiterate my calls for a redress scheme for those family members affected by the wrong practices at the R.A. Rodda Museum, which saw body parts stolen from coronial autopsies and kept without consent. [This is a matter] of justice for Tasmanians harmed
by actions of the state, and I call on the government to act on those calls with alacrity.”

My Consideration of this Issue

Following the April 2024 statement by the Coroner’s Office informing the community of the 2016 notificaiton received from the R.A. Rodda Museum regarding identified humam remains obtained from coronial autopsies over which there were serious questions, I was shocked and called for transprent investigation, to ensure that necessary lessons were learned, but further public updates were not provided.

It was not until my office phone began ringing following the newspaper publication of the 126 names of people identified as having had some form of body part removed and kept without consent or authorisation during an autopsy – stolen -that the matter was drawn once more to my attention.

It became very clear that there were two related key areas of concern, and institutaional failure:

1. the harm caused by the revelations of the historic unlawful actions undertaken; and
2. the additional harm caused by the failings of current public institutions and processes, when responding to the matters arising.

The impact of this sudden list of names upon family members was brutal and devastating.

Some discovered their deceased loved one on the list themselves, others were informed by other family members or friends, while some only found out months later.

There should have been more effort made to identify and contact people privately – and many people have voiced disappointment over that perceived lack of effort to do so.  I heard of instances where family memebrs sharing the same surname as that of the deceased person listed in the newspaper advert, still lived in the same residence, or locally.

Many felt they were being forced to grieve the loss of their loved one a second time, the loss of their infant child, their brothers, sisters, parents, and partners.

Unfortunately, many people found interacting with the Coronial Project processes extremely distressing, difficult, confusing and re-traumatising.

There appeared to be a lack of awareness of the extent, despite best efforts, the standard bureaucratic processes were not delivering a trauma informed or responsive approach.

The Coronial Project investigation process itself was perceived as protracted and confusing,  with people strugging to obtain information and updates, or suddensly discovering they were expected to make decisions within limited timeframes, particulalry in regard to recaliming their loved ones remains at the conclusion of the coronial investigation.

The public release in September 2025 of the Coroner’s Findings left many unanswered questions for many people, such as: how did this happen; who was responsible, why did it happen to their loved one, and why is nobody being held accountable?  Amongst other concerns…

It was by listening to, and liaising with those affected family memebers, as well as trying to obtain information on their behalf from authorities and the State government, that  provided insight and understanding of how this serious failing of state institutions – both then and now – continues to impact those affected family members.