MONROVIA, Montserrado – After the long delayed release of the autopsy report by the Justice Ministry, the cause of death remains a mystery for 21-year old Victoria Zayzay, who died in a police cell in the Hotel Africa community.
Zayzay was alleged to have committed suicide on October 21 while in police custody after an altercation with another woman identified as Mamie Morris.
The Government of Liberia immediately ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
After three months, Justice Minister Benedict Sannoh finally released the findings of the autopsy performed on Zayzay to her parents. The report did not arrive at a cause of death.
According to the report, abrasions on the victim’s forearms are consistent with injuries described in Police Investigation Report as having occurred during the ‘fight’ for which the deceased received treatment for at the Faith Clinic.
The report also noted a pattern of bruises on the jaw, suggesting a firm right-hand grip of the jaw. However, the autopsy could not establish whether these occurred before or after detention in the police cell.
“The relationship to the death, therefore, is uncertain,†the report concluded.
The autopsy was conducted on Nov. 11, 2015 by two Ghanaian pathologists, Edward. K. Wiredu and Lawrence Edusei.
It took considerable effort to get the Justice Ministry to release the autopsy report, with the parents threatening violent protests if the results were not released.
Senate Pro-Tempore Armah Jallah told journalists that the autopsy report was released following a special senate committee report forwarded to the plenary recently.
Jallah noted the intervention of the special senate committee was trickled by a request by a group calling itself Montserrado County Advocacy Movement.
The movement had stormed the grounds of the Capitol, demanding their lawmakers call on Minister Sannoh to release the autopsy report.
Many civil society groups, including the Women in Peacebuilding Network and Campaigners for Change, had been mounting pressure on the government to release the report.
Adama Demspter, the National Director for the Independent Human Rights Investigators, told The Bush Chicken that the autopsy report of Victoria clearly disproved the police account of hanging.
“There are lots of lapses with the manner and form officers of Liberia National Police deal with human situations in the country,†Dempster said.
Adama Demspter, National Director, Independent Human Rights Investigators Photo: Zeze Ballah
The Director of the Liberia National Police, Chris Massaquoi said earlier that while the government awaited the autopsy report from the foreign pathologists, police had suspended all officers on duty at the time of Zayzay’s death.
“The findings into the investigation of the death of the victim will be made public when the government receives the autopsy report,†Massaquoi said.
The Police Director is yet to make public his findings into the investigation of Zayzay’s death.
When The Bush Chicken contacted Police Spokesman Sam Collins to inquire when Massaquoi would disclose his findings to the public, he promised to get back to this news outlet at the appropriate time.
Earlier in October 2015, Collins had attributed the victim’s death to suicide.
The father of Victoria Zayzay, Rufus Zayzay, upon receiving the autopsy report, Rufus threatened to sue the government over the death.
Rufus Zayzay, father of Victoria Zayzay. Photo: Zeze Ballah
“I am disappointed in the government that after several months, it could not establish the cause of my daughter’s death,†he said.
Rufus Zayzay said he found it frustrating that the government paid foreign pathologists US$50,000 without establishing the cause of his daughter’s death.
Zayzay interpreted the autopsy report as going against the Liberian government, as there was no mention of hanging. As such, he would be sueing the government for the wrongful death of his daughter.
“I’ve informed Minister Sannoh that the government is responsible for the death of my daughter,†he added.
Featured photo by Zeze Ballah
