Yves Sakila's body returned to family as investigations into Dublin death continue

Yves Sakila: The 35-year-old Congolese national died in the Mater Hospital on May 15. Picture: Facebook

The body of Yves Sakila, who died outside a shop in Dublin following an alleged shoplifting incident, has been released back to his family.

The 35-year-old Congolese national died in the Mater Hospital on May 15.

The case made international headlines after Mr Sakila was filmed for more than four minutes being restrained by security personnel after he allegedly tried to steal a bottle of perfume.

Efforts were made to revive him at the scene before he was taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

An autopsy has been carried out on his body by the state pathologist, who is awaiting toxicology tests.

A second autopsy by a British pathologist, made at the request of the family, has said EU guidelines were not followed, adding that Mr Sakila’s brain and heart should have been sent away for specialist examination — which was not done.

His remains have been in the morgue in Whitehall since May 16, where his stepmother, Angel Issemezey Anzibi, formally identified his remains.

This week, his family confirmed that the body of Mr Sakila has now been released back to them.

The family’s advocate and chairperson of the Africa Solidarity Centre Ireland, Lassane Ouedraogo, told the Irish Examiner: “I am relieved that the body has been released and the family can prepare for a funeral.

“We are liaising with Yves’s mother Janet in the Congo as well as Yves’s stepmother Angel here in Dublin. We met with the ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo based in London on Sunday, and we are being assisted now to help bring the family together and so that everyone has a chance to say goodbye.”

Yves Sakila came to Ireland when he was 13 years old under a family reunification programme after his father, Noberto Longo Sakila, died. He was accompanied by his uncle, Alain Sakila, at the time, who went on to marry Angel.

She took care of Yves while she had her own children. She later divorced Mr Sakila and Yves remained under her care until “he went off the rails as a teenager”.

She told the Irish Examiner: “He had a lot of issues, his father had died in a car accident, and he came here to a strange country at 13, it was very difficult for him. He was taken into care, and he went into the homeless services. But he never forgot us, he was very troubled, but he was a loving person. I am heartbroken over him.”