Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01699 · Session 5

Release of murder victim bodies for funeral arrangements

Closed Submitted 11 Jun 2018 Justice
Signatures
0
1,046 online signatures with a country
Comments
71
Considered
3 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to change post-mortem examination protocols to allow for the deceased to be released as early as possible to enable families to make funeral arrangements for their loved ones.

What the petitioner did first

I have met with my MP and written to Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 13 Sep 2018
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 27 Jun 2019
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 16 Jan 2020
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

1,046 online signatures
  1. Scotland809 77.3%
  2. England113 10.8%
  3. United Kingdom101 9.7%
  4. Wales9 0.9%
  5. Australia5 0.5%
  6. Northern Ireland5 0.5%
  7. Ireland1 0.1%
  8. Sweden1 0.1%
  9. United States1 0.1%
  10. Not given1 0.1%

Comments

71 comments, oldest first
71 comments · showing 1–50
  1. Charles miller 11 Jun 2018
    In support.
  2. Shona Mccarthy 11 Jun 2018
    I fully support expediating the release of loved ones bodies to their families
  3. Karen-Ann Robertson 11 Jun 2018
    In what is already a horrific time for families they should be able to lay their loved ones to rest as soon as possible.
  4. Hazel mclaren 11 Jun 2018
    Let families lay their loved ones to rest. Bad enough loosing someone never mind waiting months or years to grieve properly
  5. Nicole Burgoyne 11 Jun 2018
    I hope this helps other families in Amanda Digbys situation. please change the law to be the same as England and Wales.
  6. Alexandra Manson 11 Jun 2018
    Please help these families they are suffering enough by their loved ones being murdered
  7. Anna Johnson 11 Jun 2018
    Hope this petition is successful. Thinking of you and your family! xx
  8. Catherine Maguire 11 Jun 2018
    Families suffer enough, please help them heal.
  9. Mike wells 11 Jun 2018
    Time to get in line with common sense procedure
  10. Honor Osborne 11 Jun 2018
    This family and others like them, including my own some 30 years ago deserve to lay their belived to rest after they have been torn from their lives
    - the protection here seems to carry the perpetrator not the victim.
  11. Karen hughes 11 Jun 2018
    Because these families have been through enough!
  12. Elizabeth Hendry 11 Jun 2018
    Signed
  13. Anne Dickie 11 Jun 2018
    Allow family to bury their loved ones
  14. Karen Campbell 11 Jun 2018
    Done
  15. Rhoda rutherford 11 Jun 2018
    Signed !!
  16. Sandra Bonner 11 Jun 2018
    Families should be allowed to bury loved ones
  17. Melanie Gale 11 Jun 2018
    I hope it can be changed, families need to say goodbye and time also to arrange
  18. Lorraine Paterson 11 Jun 2018
    This should be reduced to allow the family to let their relative rest in peace.
  19. Moira Creber 11 Jun 2018
    I agree bodied should be released to family asap.
  20. Tracy Lundie 11 Jun 2018
    I fully support, the request that changes are made to allow victims of violent crime to be laid to rest as soon as possible. Small changes should be made in the legal process to allow this while ensuring the fair trial guidelines.
  21. Anne Gale 11 Jun 2018
    It's difficult enough for families after something tragic happens to a loved one without having to wait months to lay them to rest
  22. Tracey coghlan 12 Jun 2018
    This is just torturous for the family, the law needs to change and fast.
  23. Lisa Salo 12 Jun 2018
    They shouldnt prolong the anguish of having to arrange the funeral so long after the tragedy. The family should be allowed to bury them as soon as possible so they have a place they can go to mourn them in peace
  24. Morag Crichton 12 Jun 2018
    At least let them lay their loved ones to rest
    God bless them
  25. Debbie Layden 12 Jun 2018
    Done
  26. Gillian Campbell 12 Jun 2018
    This is a shocking amount of time for a family to wait
  27. Margaret campbell 12 Jun 2018
    Yes
  28. Michelle Thomas 12 Jun 2018
    Nobodies loved one should be lying in a mortuary for 5 months, family need somewhere to lay their loved one to rest as quickly as possible and to have somewhere more pleasant to visit their loved one.
  29. Christine Shaw 12 Jun 2018
    Done
  30. Bernadette mcquilter 12 Jun 2018
    Done
  31. Helen McCrindle 12 Jun 2018
    Think with modern technology, families shouldn't have to wait so long for their chance to say goodbye.
  32. Davina felstein 12 Jun 2018
    To lose a dad is horrible enough but to lose him to murder before his time and of no fault of his own, means you can't say goodbye properly. I have personal experience of the issue raised by the petitioner. it's been 5 months and I still have no idea when i can lay the father of my son to rest
  33. Leighann mckenzie 12 Jun 2018
    Release this poor man's body the family's been three enough
  34. Catherine Docherty 12 Jun 2018
    God bless
  35. Donna Hutchison 12 Jun 2018
    Agree
  36. Margaret Trainer 14 Jun 2018
    Maybe 2 completely independent Post Mortems for murder victims will help resolve this.
  37. Jenna Bell 14 Jun 2018
    This needs to change!
  38. Mia letts 14 Jun 2018
    This needs to be done .it's heartbreaking how we can not lay him to rest .
  39. Julie Shannon 14 Jun 2018
    No family should have to suffer indefinitely before burying a loved one
  40. CONNER E H IRVINE 15 Jun 2018
    Yes I fully agree.
  41. Hannah Harpur 16 Jun 2018
    I agree, the families the peace they need to heal as soon as possible
  42. Derek Turnbull 17 Jun 2018
    X
  43. Ian Morgan 18 Jun 2018
    Losing a loved one is horrendous and very difficult, especially when it's a traumatic death. Family and friends need time to be able to plan their loved ones funeral, without causing any more pain and suffering than is necessary.
  44. Kathleen McArthur 19 Jun 2018
    Yes I agree to both options below.
  45. Catherine fulton 20 Jun 2018
    This also happened to my pals brother and i feel really strongly about this
  46. Mandy Paton 20 Jun 2018
    Archaic part of the law,must change.
  47. Paul Russell 20 Jun 2018
    Good luck with your campaign Amanda, I hope you get to lay your brother to rest soon.
  48. Ian Barnes 20 Jun 2018
    once facts evidence have been gained to keep secure the society then the human in question must be released to the family loved ones.
  49. wanda Gillespie 20 Jun 2018
    This law has to be changed to bring us in line with England and Wales . At a time when families are going through tremendous trauma it is cruel to add to their burden. In this time of digital technology there is no need to keep families waiting to bury their loved ones.
  50. David Phillips 20 Jun 2018
    I'm sorry for your loss Amanda, I read about your petition on BBC news and 100% agree the law should be changed.
    Davie.