Too many unclaimed bodies at the morgue

In local news, it has been noticed that more bodies are unclaimed at the Morgue.  Over four hundred and twenty Quebeckers died last year under violent circumstances and did not get a proper funeral.  Genevieve Guilbeault from the coroner’s office states that tracking down families can be difficult.  Many are immigrants, and the seniors are increasingly alone with no family around.  Sometimes the families cannot afford a funeral, or simply do not want to because they have not seen the person in years.  Whereas those who die of natural causes are taken care of by the health ministry, the coroner cannot take any decision over these bodies in case the family does come forward, or the body is needed for police investigation.  It remains up to the coroner’s office to prepare the burial, at five hundred dollars a body.