Medico-legal and ethical issues of necrophilia: A Ghanaian perspective

Abstract

In February 2018, a video of a mortuary attendant touching and fondling two dead bodies at the Bechem hospital morgue, in the Ahafo Region of Ghana, was leaked on various social media platforms nationwide. In the video, the mortuary attendant was allegedly touching and fondling the naked corpses of the late Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, popularly known as Ebony Reigns, and her friend. The video triggered public disapproval. Consequently, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Health Service initiated investigations into the matter. The family, and manager of the late dancehall artiste, also indicated their plans to file an action against the hospital where the video was taken. The incident gave rise to ethical and medico-legal issues such as the position of Ghanaian law on necrophilia, the legal status of a dead person, the liabilities, rights and interests of all affected parties connected to a dead person, and the ethical aspects of necrophilia within the Ghanaian society. These issues are the subject of this paper.