No formal written request was made to a coroner that the body of a woman who died in direct provision be released to her friends following the investigation into her death, the Department of Justice has said. Galway West Coroner Dr Ciarán Mac Loughlin, who signed off on the burial of Sylva Tukula last mont, has said the request that Ms Tukula be released to her friends and colleagues from the Amach! In the case of Ms Tukula, and the request by Amach that her body be released following the investigation into her death, “a formal request was not recorded on the file”, said a Department of Justice spokesman. Ms Tukula was believed to be in her mid-30s when she died and spent most of her life in South Africa. The Department of Justice confirmed it had been liaising with gardaí and Ms Tukula’s friends to ensure her body was released for burial.

Source: The Irish Times June 10, 2019 15:45 UTC