Aberdeen Crematorium boss 'sacked' amid probe into babies' ashes scandal

Derek Snow was sacked from his post at Aberdeen Crematorium last month following an investigation at the crematorium

A crematorium boss has been sacked amid an investigation into the
historic practice of secretly burying babies' ashes across Scotland.

Derek Snow left his post at Aberdeen Crematorium last month after it was
revealed the facility, and several others, were being looked into amid
accusations of malpractice.

The probe comes after it emerged staff at Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh mixed the ashes of
stillborn babies with those of adults before unceremoniously burying
them in the garden without their families' consent or knowledge.

A national investigation into Scottish crematoria was launched by Dame Elish Angiolini in light of the accusations.

Snow was suspended last month following an investigation into practice at the crematorium in Hazlehead, Aberdeen, last year.

The independent audit by Pricewaterhousecooper found the remains of
children aged five or under had been scattered in the crematorium's
Garden of Remembrance.

But in as many as 40 cases between 1984 and 1985, this had been done without parents' consent or knowledge.

It is not clear whether the families knew the ashes existed at all.

No ashes had been offered to relatives of dead babies from the crematorium over a five year period, it was also revealed.

The council maintained burners used at the facility were so strong that the
remains of any child below 18 months would not survive cremation, a
claim which has been rubbished by scientific investigation.

In
June the council's chief executive Angela Scott announced an
investigation would be launched following claims that the ashes of
babies and adults had been mixed together.

The ashes of as many as 40 babies were scattered in the crematorium's garden of remembrance

An independent audit found dozens of cases in which families were
not consulted about the scattering of their child's ashes and may not
even have known if they existed

Today, a council spokesman refused to comment on Snow's suspension, but confirmed they were looking to refill his post.

'We do not comment on individual staffing matters. We can confirm that we are advertising for a crematorium manager.

'The
Council will of course co-operate fully with Dame Elish and her
investigation team. It is not Aberdeen City Council's intention to
duplicate the national investigation.'

Lawyers representing
families in the area affected by the baby ashes scandal say the removal
of Mr Snow is a sign of acceptance that 'serious mismanagement' had
taken place.

THE BABY
ASHES SCANDAL OF MORTONHALL WHERE INFANTS' REMAINS WERE MIXED WITH
ADULTS' AND UNCEREMONIOUSLY TOSSED IN GARDEN 

At
Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh, distraught families reeled as they
were told there was nothing to take home of their beloved baby.

For
45 years, staff at the facility told parents and relatives the infants'
fragile bones had not survived the strength of its furnace.

They went home unsatisfied, and longing for a memento of the babies' brief lives.

Then in 2012, after a change in management, the crematorium's lies were revealed.

Edinburgh
City Council admitted staff at the facility had been disposing of the
remains of stillborn babies or infants who died days after their birth
in this way since 1967.

They claimed revealing to the child's parents that ashes had in fact been produced would be 'too distressing.'

Instead the ashes were boxed up in cardboard and buried in the garden.

Forty-seven years after the cruel practice at Mortonhall Crematorium began, an investigation was launched into the facility.

Spearheaded
by Dame Elish Angiolini, a former Lord Advocate, the report interviewed
bereaved families and staff at the crematorium as well as others across
Scotland.

The 600 page report identifies and examines the cases of more than 200 babies whose cremations may have been mishandled.

Concluding
her report, Dame Elish wrote: 'There is overwhelming evidence that
foetal bones do survive cremation, at least from 17 weeks gestation.

'The apparent belief at Mortonhall that the bones of foetuses and even
stillborn and neonatal babies could not survive the cremation process
continued, despite the exposure of the Superintendent and other staff to
evidence and information to the contrary.

There was, additionally, a longstanding and wholesale failure to comply with the
local authority’s duty to keep accurate records of the cremation of
stillborn and neonatal babies.

The evidence in this Investigation discloses a comprehensive and long-term failure to provide an
acceptable service to some of society’s most vulnerable next of kin.'

To read the full Mortonhall Report click here.

Staff at Mortonhall Crematorium (pictured) told the relatives of babies that their remains did not survive cremation

 | Mail Online