Coronial insight

Reality Bites: A Case for the Coroner – Bali Bombings
Tuesday, September 30, at 8pm on ABC.
Reviewer: LACW Simone Liebelt

I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward to this program. I was expecting to be confronted with gruesome images of the dead, but thankfully found an interesting and informative documentary.

A Case for the Coroner – Bali Bombings is the final episode in a six-part ABC documentary series on the NSW State Coroners Office, which takes a realistic behind-the-scenes look at the complex and emotional job of investigating sudden, often violent, deaths.

In the aftermath of the Bali attack, the Coroners team of forensic pathologists, counsellors and police officers prepare for a crisis as Australian victims pile up in the makeshift morgue in Denpasar.

We learn to appreciate the difficult but essential role they play in bringing closure to the devastated families of the victims.

This is shown through ex-rugby league player Craig Salvatori, whose wife Kathy was killed at the Sari Club. After he mistakenly identifies his wife’s remains through a photograph – an error that occurs in one out of every five cases – he has to await dental identification from the Coroners Office to confirm his fears.

It’s emotional viewing, particularly approaching the first anniversary of the Bali blasts, but it’s also captivating. The program is a realistic look at ordinary people doing an extraordinary job amid tragedy.