JUSTICE DENIED??? Princess Cooper Family Requests Her Remains for Befitting Burial
By: Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia: Family of the Late Princess Cooper has requested the remains of their daughter for a befitting burial.
Frustratingly, the family has blamed the Liberian Government for suppressing and denying them Justice. The family believed that there were several contradictions, untruthfulness as well as perceived uncovered motives exhibited by the government which informed the family’s claims.
Addressing a media engagement at the family’s residence in Logan Town, on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, the bereaved family noted that their decision is also triggered by immense efforts toward getting over five pathologists, who suddenly declined on the process, thus considering one ability to obtaining justice in Liberia as a sticky journey.
“In view of the few listed above, amongst several others and in an effort of bringing to closure our grieves, bereavement and to foster peace of mind, we have therefore requested via a formal communication written to the Government of Liberia through the Justice Ministry to take delivery of the body of our beloved Princess for the purpose of giving her a befitting burial”, they propounded.
They further termed the President disclosure to allow them identify their own pathology as a tangible contradiction and signals huge fraud as well as being enraged with uncovered motives.
“A total of five (5) forensic pathologists” who were resisted without purpose for three weeks; all of which cited insecurity and resistance concerns and then declined the process. With that, we’ve come to the realization that indeed there are difficulties, constrains, unfairness in trending the path to justice within our Nation whereas we can now confirm this road to obtaining justice be a rocky path”, they noted.
However, Liberia’s Information Minister Ledgerhood Julius Rennie at MICAT regular press briefing Weeks ago, narrated that the family of Princess Cooper recommended a pathologist who resides and operates in the Philippines and talks went on between both the pathologist and the Liberian government but it didn’t yield fruits.
Rennie also mentioned that both the family and the government surprisingly lost contact with the family recommended pathologist, upon informing him to forward his credentials to the Doctors’ Association in Liberia for verification.
The information Minister further provided that they were unfortunate to get a respond from the family pathologist for over two weeks, as several communications were sent but never responded to.
But on the contrary, the family considered the President’s order as a complete contradiction, and fraudulent one.
Following other major efforts ranging from formal communications sent to the Ministry of Justice followed by boycotting the autopsy upon their confirmed notification, staging peaceful protests for justice, and successfully contacting pathologists out of the Country, the family however characterized their fight to ensure Justice as a fruitless journey.
Moreover, the family believed the inability of the Liberia National Police barackad the crime scene especially considering the tragedy surrounding the matter and it’s deliberate refusal ensure full investigation of individuals who were considered as persons of interest, as vivid signs to identical the police’s stand in the case.
“That the lack of willingness and acceptance to have brought in all residents within the FAWAZ COMPOUND alongside some nearby residents of the crime scene surroundings as well as eye witnesses of whom we believed could have been strategically questioned thereby using that which would have been gathered from them to be compared with the confirmed visible assessments gathered from the crime scene “that is if there was any proper assessment done at all”, they added.
The lifeless body of the late Princess Cooper was found in the FAWAZ Building Material Store Compound at the ELWA junction on March 24, 2022.
As circumstances surrounding Princess Taylor’s death caught the attention of many across the country, the Government of Liberia unhesitatingly order the conduct of an autopsy to identify the cause of the death as many were concerned.
Early Monday, April 18, 2022, the Ministry of Justice at a special press conference held at the Ministry of Information, confirmed through Autopsy report that the late Princess Cooper died a natural death, referencing tuberculosis (TB) as the paramount cause.
Liberian pathologist Benedict Kolee medically termed the cause of death of Princess Cooper to “Haemorrhagic shock, massive haemorrhage from raptured Rasmussen aneurysm and erosion of bronchial vessels , and progressive secondary pulmonary tuberculosis”.
Following the pronouncement of the autopsy report by the Ministry of Justice and the various Doctors, the bereaved family shortly reacted, thus terming the report as ‘completely contrary’ to the normal health situations of the deceased, as such they couldn’t accept the report as they believe it is not factual and also contrary to the case the pathologists presented.
Days after, calls mounted as the parents were insinuating that they needed their very own pathologist to conduct an independent autopsy as they weren’t pleased with the first report.
Following which, concerns and criticism by the public about the government autopsy report, President George Weah then disclosed to the public his willingness to allow the family to identify their very own pathologist, such effort proved futile.
