Falklands : Royal Falkland Islands Police to Investigate Retention of Partial Remains
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 20.05.2008 (Article Archived on 03.06.2008)
Government House has announced today that the Minister for the Overseas Territories in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Meg Munn MP, has drawn to the Argentine Government's attention the fact that a bone, which we believe may belong to an Argentine airman killed in 1982, was discovered in 1986 and subsequently retained by the police here without the Argentine authorities being informed.
ROYAL FALKLAND ISLANDS POLICE TO INVESTIGATE RETENTION OF PARTIAL REMAINS
By J. Brock (FINN)
Government House has announced today that the Minister for the Overseas Territories in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Meg Munn MP, has drawn to the Argentine Government's attention the fact that a bone, which we believe may belong to an Argentine airman killed in 1982, was discovered in 1986 and subsequently retained by the police here without the Argentine authorities being informed.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is consulting the Argentine Government on next steps. It has been indicated that the FCO would be willing to assist in any way possible, including with forensic and DNA testing as it is uncertain whether the remains are from a male or a female.
At the moment, the bone has been placed in a coffin and transferred to the care and custody of the British military authorities at the Mount Pleasant Complex. There was a brief service conducted on 8 May at Mount Pleasant Complex presumably by Fr. Peter Norris of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Stanley.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated to the Argentine authorities that authorities in the Falklands were prepared to arrange a burial at the Argentine cemetery near Darwin with full military honours or have it repatriated if so requested.
H. E. the Governor Mr Alan Huckle has instructed the Chief of Police, Supt Paul Elliott, to carry out a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the bone in 1986 and why the Argentine authorities were not informed at the time.
Both the British Government and the Falkland Islands Government have offered their unreserved apologies to the Government of Argentina.
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