Unlocking secrets of the skull found on Mona Vale beach
THERE is no name. The age is unclear.
Police are not even sure what gender the child was nor how long he or she has been dead. These are just some of the mysteries forensic experts hope to answer as they conduct various tests on a skull that was found after being washed up on Mona Vale beach.
As Glebe Coroner's Court began its investigations yesterday, a spokeswoman said: "The person could have been a missing person who has been in the water for a while. We don't even know if it's Australian.
"If the person has been deceased at sea it may have floated up. The skull may have drifted up or down the coast.
"There's a tremendous amount of tests that have to be done."
Experts are already conducting orthodontic and DNA tests to try to determine the exact age and gender of the child, whose skull was found about 6.45am last Friday by a person walking along the beach.
Forensic scientists will also try to determine when the child died and what kind of trauma caused the skull to be dismembered from the rest of the body.
"It's still preliminary stages. I think it's going to be quite a while before anything can be determined," the spokeswoman for the coroner said.
But detectives said the size of the skull and the teeth suggested he or she was just four or five at the time of death.
The missing persons data base would also be examined.
The bone coloration indicated that the skull, "had spent a considerable period of time in the water".
"Given tidal flows and other factors, it is possible the child might not even come from this area," a police spokeswoman said.
After being examined by a neuropathologist, dentist and anthropologist, the remains were taken to Glebe Morgue for further testing.
DNA samples have already been taken and preliminary results of the test are expected later this week.
Police are yet to ascertain whether the skull was detached from the body as a result of murder or some other kind of trauma. They refused to speculate on the possible identity of the child saying it may cause undue distress - and give false hope - to families who have missing loved ones.
"We're not ruling anything out at this stage," a coroner's spokesman said.
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