ISTANBUL

An Australian university collected body parts from 177 human specimens for 25 years without the consent or knowledge of the families of the deceased, a probe has found, ABC reported Thursday.

Simon Cooper, a coroner, found that pathologists working in the southeastern state of Tasmania between 1966 and 1991 had been retaining the specimens and giving them to the museum of the University of Tasmania, in contravention of laws that applied at the time.

The investigation was initiated in 2016 after the museum contacted the Coroners' Office with concerns about three specimens it had in its possession that were determined to have been retained without the consent of families or the coroner.

Cooper said that “pathologists may have actively sourced specimens from coronial autopsies to give to the museum, as well as providing specimens that had been retained for forensic purposes.”

Coronial autopsies are conducted as part of investigations led by a coroner. Typically, coroners look into deaths that are sudden, unexplained or occur in custody.

During the course of the investigation, the coroner has legal authority over the body, which is only released to the family once the investigation is complete, allowing for burial or cremation.

Under the laws that applied at the time, and current laws, body parts sourced or retained as part of investigations into the cause of death "cannot be used for medical research or education, at least not without the knowledge and consent of relevant family members," Cooper said.

The University of Tasmania's deputy vice-chancellor for health, Graeme Zosky, said the school was "deeply sorry for the sadness and hurt felt by family members who learned that parts of their loved ones were collected during coronial autopsies and retained without consent."

"This historic practice no longer occurs and has not for several decades," Zosky said, adding the university would "carefully consider the coroner's report to determine any further actions."