The University of Liège has filed a complaint following the intrusion of two Dutch urban explorers into the former Institute of Forensic Medicine on Rue Dos-Fanchon in Liège, as confirmed by several media reports on Friday.
In a video shared on social media, the duo, dressed as surgeons, filmed themselves exploring the site, which is still partially used for some post-mortem examinations. The footage shows them handling objects and opening a refrigerator containing a human skeleton.
“They broke into private property and traces of their intrusion were found. It appears they used a crowbar or a large screwdriver to force open doors. Everything was locked,” said medical examiner Philippe Boxho on Friday.
This incident allegedly took place on 22 July, but was preceded by other intrusions "that went unnoticed, as we don't often go to that part of the building. There is no alarm system, and no one would ever have thought that people would enter the cellars of the municipal morgue in Liège without authorisation. There are no special security measures except in certain rooms that require them," the forensic doctor added. However, a patrol is carried out every night, but it appears that nothing unusual was noticed by the security guard.
Although autopsies are now performed at the University Hospital of Liège, the site remains active and in use. It still houses forensic equipment as well as a skeleton currently undergoing identification, which was found by the two intruders in the video. "We are waiting for it to be identified so that it can be buried with dignity," concludes Philippe Boxho.
