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'No reason to exhume body'
THE Greek authorities will be told there is no reason why the grave of a young man who died on holiday should be disturbed to obtain DNA samples.
The family of Christopher Rochester, 24, of Chester-le-Street, who died of neglect in hospital after a balcony fall in 2000, are fighting to prove that a kidney was illegally removed from his body and a stranger's organ was later sent in its place.
A DNA test conducted in Britain revealed the kidney was not Mr Rochester's but the Greek authorities want an independent test to be carried out and have insisted that existing DNA samples are not sufficient and that Mr Rochester should be exhumed.
Last Friday, Yannis Ferentinos, an aide to the Greek ambassador in London, travelled to Durham Police's headquarters for a meeting with Mr Rochester's parents, Pam and George Cummings.
Also at the meeting were Prof John Burn, head of Newcastle's Institute of Human Genetics, who performed the original DNA test, pathologist Dr Paul Barratt, of the University of North Durham, who did an autopsy in England, and Det Insp Steve Murray, of Durham Police, who has worked on several murder inquiries.
Prof Burn said: "I argued today that there was no need to exhume Christopher because we have a sample of DNA from when he had an operation, and we have his mother.
"The only way the result could be wrong is if the kidney sent from Greece got mixed up with another. I will be writing to the Greek ambassador to this effect.''
Det Insp Murray is a conducting an inquiry into the kidney's journey from Greece and has so far found no evidence of a mix-up.
Mr Rochester's stepfather, George Cummings, said the experts told Mr Ferentinos "there is no reason whatsoever on earth to continue with their request to exhume Christopher's body".
Mr Cummings said Mr Ferentinos, who left without commenting, and North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones, would write reports on the discussion for officials in Athens and that Prof Burn was also recommending that the Rhodes pathologist hired a genetics expert to examine their arguments.
He added that the exhumation request was a tactic to deter the family from pursuing their quest for truth.
"We are hoping that the Greeks will withdraw their request to exhume Chris and will accept that we have enough evidence now that will hold up in any court.
"If they don't accept the report and want to continue with the exhumation, it will take place.
"If we refuse them the evidence they are asking for, it will give them the opportunity to say the family are refusing to co-operate and they can close the case."
11:10am Tuesday 13th May 2008
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