Police suspect that the grisly discovery in Qumuto town could be a case of ‘illegal disposal of unclaimed dead bodies’.
Law enforcement officials in the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago have launched an investigation after 56 bodies, mostly children, were found abandoned in a cemetery.
The discovery was announced in a statement by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) on Saturday. The bodies of 50 infants were recovered, including four adult males and two females.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
At least one adult woman and one adult man showed signs of having undergone post-mortem examination. All the adults had identification tags, which are often used in morgues.
“Initial indications suggest that this may be a case involving the illegal disposal of unclaimed bodies,” the police service said.
“Further forensic analysis is underway to determine the origin of the remains and any associated violations of law or procedure.”
The discovery took place in the town of Cumuto, about 40 kilometers or 25 miles from the Spanish capital Port.
After the remains were found in the cemetery, Cumuto police secured the scene and began a forensic investigation. Specialist units, including homicide specialists, have also been deployed to the site.
In a statement Saturday, Police Commissioner Alistair Guevaro acknowledged how disturbing the discovery was.
“The nature of this discovery is extremely disturbing and we understand the emotional impact it will have on the families and the wider national community,” Guevaro said.
“TTPS is treating this case with urgency, sensitivity and unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth. Every body must be handled with dignity and legal care. Any individual or entity found to be in breach of that duty will be held fully accountable.”
Improper disposal of human remains is a criminal offense in Trinidad and Tobago, as it is in other parts of the world.
The island nation north of Venezuela has also grappled with a rise in organized crime in recent years.
In December 2024, Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency to combat gang violence, and while its initial duration was only 15 days, the emergency declaration has remained in place for the most part since then.
As recently as March, the country’s House of Representatives voted to extend the state of emergency for an additional three months.
At the time, Prime Minister Kamala Prasad-Bissessar said 373 people were detained under the emergency proclamation, which expanded the powers of law enforcement to make arrests and enter public and private premises.
He said his government would continue “its zero-tolerance approach towards crime and criminal gangs”.
“I have already warned the criminal gangs and the prisoners released from jail that civilized law-abiding citizens are fed up with their criminality, and if they cannot behave themselves, I will have no hesitation in declaring another SoE (state of emergency),” she said in a statement. statement.
“If criminals seek to terrorize law-abiding citizens and their families, I will do everything legally possible to terrorize criminals and those who aid and abet them.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Trinidad and Tobago has seen a sharp increase in the murder rate.
That year, there were about 20 murders per 100,000 people, but in 2024 the number rose to 45.7 murders per 100,000 people, a record high.
However, the murder rate is projected to drop to about 27 per 100,000 people in 2025.
