Will charges be brought over Aberdeen's baby ashes scandal?
The Crown Office is considering a report that found babies were cremated along with unrelated adults over many years in ''unethical and abhorrent practices'' at Aberdeen Crematorium
The Crown Office is considering a report that found babies were cremated along with unrelated adults over many years in ''unethical and abhorrent practices'' at Aberdeen Crematorium.
The National Cremation Investigation was set up in the wake of the Mortonhall scandal where it emerged the Edinburgh crematorium had secretly buried or scattered the ashes of babies for decades without the knowledge of their families.
Bereaved parents had been told there would be no ashes produced and other local authorities including Aberdeen City Council were subsequently implicated in similar practices.
Former Lord Advocate, Dame Elish Angiolini, looked at more than 200 infant cremation cases across the country and found ''deeply shocking'' practices at Aberdeen Hazelhead Crematorium.
It was found in some cases that an infant coffin was placed at the side of or on top of an unrelated adult coffin and both cremated together.
Many staff had the extraordinary belief'' there would be no recovered ashes from babies up to the age of 18 months despite the fact they were recovered in other crematoriums and scientific evidence.
It was said there were issues around the recovery process of ashes, the ability to recognise skeletal remains and ''individual or corporate management decisions''.
Aberdeen City Council chief executive Angela Scott apologised to the families affected and said recommendations will be acted upon.
She will give a statement to full council later today.
Some relatives and bereavement groups have called for action to be taken''.
The 400-page report has been passed to prosecutors and a Crown Office spokesman said it is under consideration''.