Human rights organization have come out to state that they are satisfied by the autopsy report about Caroline Mwatha’s body.
A post-mortem examination on the late Caroline Mwatha reveals that the Dandora-based human rights activists died of excessive bleeding from a ruptured uterus following a botched abortion.
Family Pathologist Peter Ndegwa said Thursday evening that Ms Mwatha had a male foetus of five to six months still inside her womb, but which is mutilated, the left limb missing and the brain badly injured.
“The uterus was perforated at the backside. There was an attempt to dismember the foetus because one hand was missing and part of the skull was injured,” Dr Ndegwa said.
The report by the pathologist showed that she did not have any physical injury or any sign of struggle apart from needle marks which showed some medical intervention but she had internal bleeding and external bleeding.
Dr Ndegwa said the injury on her neck was due to an embalming procedure at the City Mortuary, where she was booked as a private citizen.
Ndegwa continued that though the post-mortem has been concluded, it is upon the investigators to identify the circumstance under which she died- Whether the abortion was done with or without her consent.
A toxology test is set to be carried out in order to determine if Ms Mwatha ingested any chemical, which could have led to her death.
Speaking on behalf of human rights organisations, Mr Kamau Ngugi of Human Rights Defenders said, “We have been involved in this process, we are satisfied with the competency and independence that the police and members of the medical profession have displayed in carrying out the post-mortem examination.
“This puts everyone in a place where it will be possible to accept the results, ” he said.
Mr Ngugi added: ” We are grateful to the police service which under intense pressure that was generated by this episode have worked quickly and shown great levels of competency in investigating the death of Caroline.”
However, the organisations said they are waiting for justice for Ms Mwatha, a human rights defender, who they said died in “unclear circumstances”.
“Nothing takes away what Caroline used to do in the community. The outcome today is part of the investigation,” Mr Ngugi said.
The result has shuttered the argument that arose between the family members and the police with the family members refuting earlier reports by the police that Ms Mwatha died of a botched abortion.