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Hessen Debates Individual Burial Rights for Stillborn Babies

A centralization of secondary autopsies under forensic specialists accompanies an update to the state’s funeral code

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Overview

  • The Hessian parliament will hold a plenary debate on June 25 to discuss the proposed changes to the state’s funeral and burial law.
  • The proposal grants all bereaved parents the right to individually bury their stillborn children regardless of fetal weight or gestational age.
  • It mandates hospitals and birthing centers to inform families of their burial choices following a stillbirth or late miscarriage.
  • The bill restricts secondary postmortem examinations to doctors in forensic medicine departments or municipal health authorities.
  • If adopted, the law will take effect following a public hearing after its first reading and remain valid until December 2032.