Corpse on the couch – the city and state of Salzburg are planning new death inspection regulations after criticism from the Ombudsman’s Office
Nobody has to spend the night with the dead in the apartment anymore – in future, corpses can be taken away and officially inspected by the undertaker
Vienna (OTS) – In January, Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz drew attention to a grievance: In Salzburg, a family with a corpse on the couch had to share the apartment because no doctor was available in the evening to examine the dead. Not an isolated case, as it turned out. A month later, the city and state of Salzburg are now reacting and announcing legal changes. In the future, corpses will also be removed if they have not yet been examined by a doctor.
A 55-year-old died tragically and completely unexpectedly during a visit to friends on their terrace. Since she died at around 10:00 p.m., there was no longer a public health officer on duty in the city of Salzburg who could carry out the post-mortem examination. Birgit S. and her two children had to wait for the next day – with the body of the deceased on the couch in the middle of the living room. The Ombudsman found maladministration. “That is not reasonable,” said Ombudsman Achitz at the time: “In a city like Salzburg, it must be possible to find alternatives. Either the city regulates the responsible or the accessibility of the coroner doctors, or the state has to change the law!”
In the meantime, the city of Salzburg has also recognized the problem as spokesman Karl Schupfer assured in the ORF program “Bürgeranwalt”.: “We took the criticism very seriously.” The city of Salzburg negotiated with the Medical Association, but failed because of their imaginative ideas. The country was therefore contacted, and it announced a change in the law: in future, corpses from apartments may also be removed without being examined. The inquest is then carried out in the undertaker’s mortuary. Ombudsman Achitz: “I am pleased that a good solution will now be found quickly.”
SERVICE: The Ombudsman Board is under post@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at and on the free service number 0800 223 223.
Questions & contact:
Florian Kraftner
Media spokesman in the office of Ombudsman Mag. Bernhard Achitz
+43 664 301 60 96
florian.kraeftner@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at
volksanwaltschaft.gv.at