Call For Probe Into Hospital Death
Authorities at the Craigavon Area Hospital should carry out a full inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man whose body was hanging from a tree for over three weeks, it was urged last night.
Local DUP councillor Dr Philip Weir said the local Southern Health and Social Services Trust, of which the hospital is a part, would most likely carry out a thorough investigation into the incident as a matter of course.
The politician said his thoughts were with the family of the 34-year-old man, originally from Poland, after his remains were found in a wooded area to the rear of the Co Armagh hospital.
It is understood his body had been hanging from a tree for over three weeks before it was discovered.
The man had been treated at the hospital and had left on March 26. His body was found last Friday in a heavily shrubbed area behind the complex. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.
A Craigavon Area Hospital spokeswoman confirmed a man’s body had been found in its grounds but added that she was unable to comment on the case until an inquest into the death was carried out.
The police also confirmed the body of a man “was discovered around noon in the grounds of Craigavon Area Hospital on Friday April 20”.
He was reported missing on April 11 and was subsequently identified from medical records held by police.
Mr Weir said: “This news is a shock and my thoughts are with the family of this man.
“There absolutely needs to be an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this death but I’d imagine the Southern Trust would do that automatically.
“This must be a terrible shock for whoever found the body. I know that some of the grounds around the hospital are quite dense.”
Craigavon mayor Kenneth Twyble agreed it was important to establish the circumstances of the death.
“This is a terrible tragedy and it’s hard to know what to say until we know exactly what happened,” said the Ulster Unionist.
“There may never be a way of knowing exactly what happened.”
