There’s a scene in one episode of NCIS where grieving colleagues of a dead agent fantasize what she might be saying or doing. In that episode, the now-dead Kate reaffirms her modesty and her concerns that others might see the tattoo on her “bum” or might see her nude on the autopsy table.
It’s all fantasy, of course, but I thought of it when I read a news story out of Quebec City from QMI:
The coroner’s office has asked provincial police to investigate a 2011 case of a former morgue employee who reportedly snapped pictures of female corpses for his personal collection.
While police in 2011 found no criminal wrongdoing, the coroner’s office said Friday it received new information which prompted officials to call authorities.
Quebec City’s head coroner, Louise Nolet, told reporters Wednesday that an employee was fired in 2011 due to “inappropriate acts.”
She wouldn’t go into details but said that all the material seized was destroyed.
A source told Sun News Network’s sister French-language station, LCN, that a Quebec City employee had a personal collection of photos he took of corpses of women and young girls who were brought to the morgue.
The fired employee reportedly spoke to the CBC Friday on condition of anonymity. The man, who said he was in his 60s, told the CBC that his job was to take photos of corpses for coroner investigations. He maintained that none of the photos he took ever left the office.
He admitted, however, to taking photos that were not destined for the official coroner files and kept them for his personal collection.
He reportedly said that he took pictures of the breasts of some of the corpses because he found them pretty.
The former employee also told the CBC that he took under 100 photos of the genitals of corpses and said he did not take inappropriate photos of any children.
The coroner’s office has not confirmed any media reports about the case.
Many of us might have a “yucky” feeling reading the above. But why wasn’t this deemed unlawful under Quebec’s privacy laws, which – if I read them correctly – do extend past death?