Funeral director denies claim body was swapped into cheaper coffin for cremation
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The funeral director at the centre of a coffin-swapping controversy says a Central Queensland grandmother's body was temporarily placed in a cheaper casket because of a delay in her cremation.
The distraught family of 74-year-old Janice Valigura believe she was taken out of the silky oak coffin they had purchased and cremated in a pine box instead.
Her son Mick said one of the people mourning the death of Mrs Valigura whose funeral was held on Monday, noticed her coffin was swapped for a cheaper pine box at the crematorium.
But funeral director Tony Hart said the coffin change was due to a delay in Mrs Valigura's cremation, which meant her body had to be placed in a freezer.
He said her remains were temporarily put in a "transfer shell" box to prevent the lacquered, more expensive casket from cracking due to a change of temperature.
Mr Hart said Mrs Valigura's body was cremated in the casket her family had paid for.
Mr Hart said he would release a statement later today.
Mrs Valigura's family have complained to police about the matter, and officers visited the funeral home yesterday as part of their investigation.
Officers labelled the family's allegation "shocking" and said police were taking it seriously.
Insiders shocked by the claim the body was cremated in the pine coffin said now was the time to introduce regulation and bring the industry in line with other states.
You do not need a licence to be involved in the funeral industry in Queensland.
People who decide to start a business have to abide by a list of legal standards, including Australian Consumer Law and workplace health and safety, but the process of opening shop is much less difficult than in other states and territories.
Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) spokesman Darren Eddy yesterday said Queensland should follow NSW's lead in governing what happens to the dead.
"We would certainly like to see some strengthening and uniformity across the country so that everybody is on the same page, has the correct facilities and properly trained staff," he said.
Topics: death, community-and-society, crime, fraud-and-corporate-crime, people, grief, human-interest, rockhampton-4700, qld, australia, brisbane-4000
