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Mannar mass graves: US forensic reports before magistrate on Wednesday
View(s):Key forensic reports of carbon dating compiled by a US-based forensic agency, on the human skeletons recovered from Sri Lanka’s largest mass grave are to be submitted to the Mannar Magistrate’s court on Wednesday, Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Saminda Rajapaksha said.
The JMO, who is overseeing the excavation process of the mass grave close to Mannar town, told the Sunday Times that he received, on Friday, the final reports on five of the six human skeleton samples that were sent to the US, and would submit them to court.
In January, following a court directive, a delegation comprising JMO Rajapaksa, representatives from the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) and families of disappeared persons from the Mannar district, travelled to the US to hand over the sealed sample of skeletons to the US forensic firm. The samples were flown to Beta Analytics in Miami, to determine the time of burial of persons whose skeletons have been recovered so far at the site. They are currently under Magisterial custody. Among the recovered skeletons, at least 28 are suspected to be of children, preliminary observations of the excavation team indicated.
“These carbon dating reports are confidential, until they are placed before the open Magistrate’s court, where the court will direct us on the next course of action to be taken,” JMO Rajapksa said.
OMP Chairman Saliya Pieris told the Sunday Times it was awaiting the courts’ directive on the next steps, including the identification of victims.
The OMP has been funding the excavation process and extending technical assistance to the team since the inception of exhumation last year.