Former law chief heads ashes probe

Jan 22 2013

An investigation into a crematorium which secretly buried babies' remains without the knowledge of their bereaved parents is to be led by a former top law officer.

Dame Elish Angiolini, a former Lord Advocate for Scotland, has been appointed by Edinburgh City Council to lead an inquiry into practices at Mortonhall crematorium.

The scandal surrounding the council-run crematorium emerged towards the end of last year when it was revealed it had been common practice not to offer families the ashes of stillborn babies or those who died when they were days old.

Parents were led to believe there would be nothing to scatter and the ashes were dumped in a "mass grave" in a so-called "garden of remembrance" at the crematorium.

The practice, which was discovered by child bereavement charity Sands Lothians, was carried out for 45 years, ending in 2011. Affected parents have called for a public inquiry.

The decision to appoint Dame Elish follows consideration of the findings of an initial investigation, the council said.

The Transport and Environment Committee subsequently agreed to commission an independent expert to lead and direct a further probe.

It is expected that Dame Elish will review the files, conduct further investigation and interviews, and draw on any other expert advice she deems necessary to help her reach her own findings.

A continuing review by independent auditors from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) into the crematorium records will also feed into her investigation, as will an ongoing policy review.

Her inquiry has the scope to review various initial findings, assess the council's arrangements for communicating with the parents involved and establish whether there have been any failures in professional standards or management practices.