Family of woman who died in CUMH let down by inquest delay

Almost three years on, an inquest has not yet been held into Geraldine Yankeu's death following a legal challenge by her family.

The brother of a woman who died after the still birth of her daughter at Cork University Hospital says his family have been left down by the delay in an inquest into her death.

Geraldine Yankeu died 11 days after the stillbirth of her daughter Mary in CUH on August 8, 2021.

Almost three years on, an inquest has not yet been held into her death following a legal challenge by her family.

Late last year, the Attorney General directed that the coroner for South Cork hear the inquest into the death, after the legal challenge in the High Court.

However, no date has yet been set for inquest.

Her brother Romuald is frustrated by the wait in holding an inquest to hear the circumstances of his sister’s death.

He told the Irish Examiner: “I feel like we have been left down.” 

Under the Coroners Act 2019, inquests are mandatory in cases of maternal deaths.

The legal team representing the family of 31-year-old Ms Yankeu wrote to the AG in September to seek directions after a High Court hearing which heard the Cork City Coroner, Philip Comyn, will not now hear her inquest following a legal challenge by the family.

Romuald Chainey, Geraldine Yankeu's brother. 

The Cork City Coroner previously consented to a declaration there was a reasonable apprehension of objective bias on his part because he initially made a decision not to hold an inquest into the death.

In August 2022, the Irish Examiner was told by the Cork City Coroner’s office that the deaths of both Ms Yankeu and her daughter Mary “were treated as natural and no inquest was required”.

However, four days later, a statement from the office said: “Baby Mary Yankeu’s death was treated as a 'natural death'".

Her family’s legal team subsequently requested the Attorney General give directions in the “unprecedented situation”, “given that the coroner has agreed to ‘step aside’ and there is no legal provision for another coroner to ‘step in’".

The court also heard the coroner also consented to an order quashing his decision last February to schedule or proceed with the inquest into the death of Ms Yankeu and her stillborn baby girl Mary in April 2023.

The Attorney General directed that the inquest be heard by coroner for South Cork, Frank O’Connell.