Apology given for 'appalling' display of autopsy body parts without consent
The Tasmanian government has issued a formal apology for displaying human autopsy specimens in a museum without family consent. Health Minister Bridget Archer acknowledged the distress caused to affected families and described the practices as 'appalling'. Calls for further investigations into the matter have been made by family members seeking accountability.
- ▪The apology was delivered in the Tasmanian parliament with affected family members present.
- ▪The practice of retaining and displaying body parts without consent occurred from 1966 to 1991 and officially ceased in 1997.
- ▪A coroner's investigation revealed that 177 specimens were retained, with about 100 identified.
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| Original publisher | ABC News (Australia) |
| Canonical URL | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-19/tas-parliament-apologises-for-body-parts-in-museum/106690890 |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 02:14:50 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-19T02:39:57.072Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Tasmania government apologises for display of autopsy body parts in museum without consentABy Adam HolmesTopic:Medical EthicsTue 19 May 2026 at 12:14pmTue 19 May 2026 at 12:14pmTue 19 May 2026 at 12:14pmJohn Santi and Phil Harris outside parliament in Hobart shortly before the apology. (ABC News: Loretta Lohberger)In short:A formal apology has been given in Tasmanian parliament for the past practice of taking human specimens from autopsies and displaying them in a pathology museum without the knowledge or consent of family members.Health Minister Bridget Archer delivered the apology with a number of affected family members present in parliament.What's next?Family members are calling for further investigations into who knew what about the practice, and how it was able to continue for more…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).