Autopsies

In accordance with Establishment of Cause of Death Act, a legal protection agency (the police) may, on the basis of specific indications, refer a deceased individual for forensic medical examination or investigation in order to establish the cause of his or her death.

An autopsy is then performed by the regional forensic department of the Institute in the service area in which the deceased individual died.

After the autopsy a death certificate is issued to the relatives of the deceased. For further information, please contact the relevant regional forensic medical department.

The holding of deceased individuals referred for forensic medical examination or investigation is free of charge from the date of the ruling issued by the legal protection agency or the date of the production of the delivery note until the deceased’s body is released. Bodies are released from the Institute after autopsies in an appropriate state in a body bag. Bodies are not clothed. Bodies are released to funeral homes based on an authorisation document.

The expert´s report of forensic medical examination is issued to the employee of the legal protection agency that referred the deceased individual for examination.

The expert´s report is not given to the relatives of the deceased.