Troubling delay in autopsy of alleged abused woman
Pakiam Subramaniam was only married for five months when her family heard the news of her untimely death in the wee hours of Feb 12.
Pakiam Subramaniam was only married for five months when her family heard the news of her untimely death in the wee hours of Feb 12.
Her father, Subramaniam Manappen, was informed that the 23-year-old, who was living with her in-laws after her marriage in Padang Serai, Kedah, had died from a stomach ailment after consuming wrong medication.
However, upon retrieving her body from the hospital, Subramaniam noticed striking bruises on her body, particularly wounds on her arms, cigarette burns on her body, fingernails prised off, a swollen head and missing teeth.
Just hours before her death, Pakiam had apparently related to her mother that she was being abused and assaulted by her husband, a mechanic.
Making matters worse, their suffering has been compounded by red tape from the police and hospital authorities.
Subramaniam bemoaned that police and hospital authorities interrupted an independent autopsy to ascertain her cause of death.
The Serdang Hospital in Selangor was supposed to have conducted a second post-mortem on June 21 but it was suddenly stopped, claimed Subramaniam, by police officers and a forensic team from a government hospital in Kulim, Kedah.
The family had applied for a court order to conduct a second autopsy, after the first post-mortem failed to identify Pakiam's external bruises and wounds.
According to the post-mortem done in Kulim, Pakiam had died from a lung infection and it did not take into account the family's suspicion of physical abuse.
"They are trying to it cover up. The (Kulim) hospital and the police, they are trying to protect somebody," Kapar PKR parliamentarian S Manickavasagam (left ) told reporters in Parliament today.
Manikavasagam accompanied Subramaniam to meet with officials from Health Ministry, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and Home Ministry, and to submit a memorandum appealing for the post-mortem to be conducted without further delay.
Manikavasagam, who was with the Pakiam's family, two days ago, was told by the forensic authorities from Serdang Hospital that they did not have the necessary equipment to carry out the autopsy.
Five police reports have been lodged urging the police to investigate the case, however, nothing has been done, said Subramaniam.
"Pakiam was only married for five months, and she was beautiful. But the photos after her death show that she had been beaten and bruised," said Zuraida Kamaruddin (PKR-Ampang) and PKR Women chief.
Pakiam's husband, who has been accused on the crime, has yet to be hauled up by the cops for interrogation.
A weary looking Subramaniam appealed to the three ministries to facilitate the post-mortem process.
"It's been 147 days since my daughter's body has been lying in the mortuary. I'm a poor man.Please help me settle this soon," he pleaded.
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