Frequency and procedure of management of unidentified corpses admitted to the mortuary of the hubert koutoukou maga university teaching hospital of cotonou

Introduction: Corpse identification is a major concern in forensic medicine. This study aimed to determine the frequency of cases of unidentified corpse discovery in the city of Cotonou and describe the procedure related to their judicial management. Material and Methods: This research work was a case control study conducted in the largest public funeral home in the city of Cotonou. Data were analyzed using the software Epi-info. Results: During the time period of study, unidentified corpses accounted for 1.27% of the dead bodies admitted to the funeral home. In 70.4% of cases, corpses were those of men. To identify corpses, a judicial inquiry was initiated in 51.5% of cases. Only 8.8% of corpses were officially sealed and only 3.0% of corpses underwent a forensic autopsy. Conclusion: Those results suggest that very little has been done to enable the restitution of mortal remains to families.