Director of the ISPyCF of Mexico City blames the Attorney General's Office for delays in the delivery of bodies.

MEXICO CITY (apro) .- Arturo Cervantes Arroniz, director of the Institute of Forensic Services and Sciences (ISPyCF), blamed the delay in the delivery of the bodies of deceased persons on the Attorney General's Office of Mexico City (FGJCDMX).

The official acknowledged that there are people who negotiate with funeral homes to expedite procedures in exchange for improper charges, but he emphatically urged the Institute's staff not to participate in this type of behavior.

"It has been detected that funeral homes charge the bereaved for supposedly expediting autopsies, issuing death certificates, or even performing laboratory tests; in this regard, they insisted that the autopsy service does not generate any costs for citizens," the ISPyCF reported in a statement.

The director of the ISPyCF, a subsidiary of the Mexico City Judicial Branch (PJCDMX), stated that 60% of the cases in which the release of bodies to the bereaved has been delayed is due to writing errors and errors in the documentation sent by the public prosecutor's office.

"There are currently several factors that can lead to delays in the release of bodies to their relatives, which are not related to the institution," he explained, adding that the only competent authority to authorize the release of a body is the ministerial authority, not the ISPyCF staff.

"Among the factors beyond the control of the ISPyCF that can delay the release of a body is the fact that in approximately 60 percent of cases, there are writing errors in the documentation sent to the ISPyCF by the ministerial authority, which must be corrected to avoid subsequent legal problems for the bereaved," he added.

The ISPyCF is the institution responsible for the Registry of Deceased Persons and the Approved Autopsy Protocol, mechanisms that contribute to the Mexico City Strategy for the Search and Location of Persons, presented by the authorities for the period 2025-2030.

Last July, experts and doctors joined the judicial strike in the nation's capital, accompanied by searching mothers.

At the time, forensic staff were demanding salary increases, decent working conditions, an end to workplace harassment and influence peddling within the institution, and sufficient personnel to provide the service effectively.

Following these protests, the Mexico City Judicial Council removed Dr. Patricia Crespo from her position on July 4. The official was accused by the striking workers of fostering an environment of workplace harassment and nepotism in key positions within the institution. Arturo Cervantes Arroniz replaced her.