Ian Brady victim Pauline Reade’s family devastated to discover Moors Murders cops secretly kept her dug up BODY PARTS for 30 years
COPS secretly stored the body parts of Moors Murder victim Pauline Reade for 30 years without her family’s knowledge.
Greater Manchester Police only told Pauline’s niece, Jackie, that they had kept the victim’s jawbone and hair samples at Leeds University, after an audit was carried out in the wake of Ian Brady’s death.
Jackie said she received a call from a GMP policeman who claimed the unit had “stumbled across some stuff”.
The 44-year-old who initially thought it was going to be her auntie’s gold necklace, was heartbroken as they explained what they covertly stashed.
“They knew who she was. They had identified the body, yet they kept them. I just can’t believe it.
“The family had no idea. This family has been through enough. It is mind boggling.”
Pauline was laid to rest at Gorton Cemetery, Manchester, where her family thought she was all there together.
But now they face staging a second funeral for the victim who disappeared at the tender age of 16.
This week, GMP delivered a wooden casket holding Pauline’s remains to Jackie’s solicitors.
She went before Jackie was born, but at the age of 13, Jackie remembers the moment her auntie’s body was found.
“It has brought it all back. I feel angry. When the police sent me a letter they said I was Pauline’s auntie – they couldn’t even get that right,” Jackie said.
“The police just said they had been kept for evidence. But they knew who she was there was no need for them keep them. There was no need for them to keep the jawbone. It is awful.”
Pauline’s grave is a family plot where her mum Joan, dad Amos, and brother Paul who all died after her, lie in the same place.Jackie wants an apology from the police because her family will now have to “disturb all four graves”.
But a second funeral is set to bring complications for Pauline’s family as it will require four licences from the Ministry of Justice to move the bodies of all the family members.
Jackie’s lawyer, Peter Hall, head of civil litigation for Tranters Solicitors of Stockport said the case which he described as “utterly bizarre and disturbing” could have been totally avoidable.
“It has created great distress and there has been no explanation or apology from GMP. Jackie’s wish is that all of Pauline’s remains are buried together as it should have been all along.”
Martin Bottomley, Head of GMP’s Cold Case Unit said the samples were kept for “investigative purposes”.
He added: “We recently became aware that human tissue belonging to Pauline Reade had been stored in external premises on behalf of GMP.
“As soon as we became aware of this, we contacted Pauline’s family to make arrangements so that the samples could be laid to rest in whichever way they felt most fitting.
“This is a deeply sensitive matter and understandably it has caused some upset with the family however, we felt contacting them was the right thing to do and we have given them a number of options, all of which GMP will pay for.
“The Moors Murders was one of the most evil acts that happened in this country in the 20th century and although those responsible were brought to justice, we will continue to provide support to the families of the victims in any way that we can.”
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