Police have started to investigate the files of six missing people following the discovery of a body in an advanced state of decomposition on the grounds of the Limassol general hospital two days ago.
According to police, a post-mortem was started on Friday, which failed to provide results. They also said they had not determined the sex of the deceased person.
Normally the sex can be determined quickly by the shape of the pelvis or skull, and long bone measurements so it is not known what other factors have delayed the announcement of findings in this particular respect.
Limassol police are focusing on six individuals missing from 2010 onwards in their investigations and a post-mortem was started by state pathologists Aggeliki Papetta and Orthodoxos Orthodoxou. This will continue in the coming days. They are being assisted by anthropologist Maristalla Kirkimdji.
The examinations will take several days due to the advance state of decay of the body, necessitating specialised examinations.
On Friday, the team began the post-mortem, with initial works completed at 5pm. During their examinations on the body several samples were collected for DNA testing at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics.
The tests will show the sex, age, and origin of the body, as well as the time of death and if foul play was involved. Tests will also show if there are fractures on the bones, and if bones were perimortem or postmortem.
The body was found around 11am at the northern part of the hospital grounds where a helipad is located.
It was discovered by the crew of a private contractor carrying out cleaning works at the helipad. They alerted the police.
“I saw a hand, then the whole body, and I told my boss,” the worker who spotted the remains told journalists.
Click here to change your cookie preferences