The petitioners applied for the exhumation of the remains of their son/brother, Steven, with a view to their reburial near their new home in Somerset. Steven had been killed at the age of 19 years by a dangerous driver on the road on which the churchyard lay. The chancellor received medical evidence from a psychologist, who confirmed that Steven's mother and brother had suffered post traumatic stress disorder after the accident. She confirmed that they continued and would continue to suffer profound emotional difficulties as they had been unable to visit Steven's grave, as in order to do so they needed to pass the place where they had last seen him alive, and feared encountering the family of the driver who had killed Steven. This involved a real risk of re-trauma. The psychologist concluded that their mental health would significantly and swiftly improve if Steven's remains could be moved. The chancellor considered the Blagdon guidelines and considered that the medical evidence showed that an exception to the norm of permanence had been made out. The faculty was granted. [RA]
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