Open verdict in Anna Jenkins case a ‘partial win', says son

Free Malaysia Today

28-04-2025

Greg Jenkins wants the authorities to conduct further forensic work at the construction site where his mother's remains were found.
GEORGE TOWN : The son of the late Anna Jenkins has hailed the High Court's ruling on her death as a 'positive development', especially with the judge also suggesting that there were grounds for the police to reopen their investigation.
Justice Rofiah Mohamad had said that although she was obliged to uphold the coroner's 'open verdict' due to a lack of evidence, prosecutors could order the police to reopen their investigation to address numerous unanswered questions.
Greg Jenkins welcomed the judge's remarks, expressing his belief that the coroner's decision had been made prematurely.
Anna, 65, an Australian national born in Parit Buntar, Perak, vanished during a holiday to Penang in 2017. Her remains were found at a construction site near the race course in Batu Gantong here only three years later, but a coroner was unable to determine the cause of death.
Unhappy with the coroner's findings, the Jenkins family filed for a revision.
Speaking to reporters, Greg thanked the High Court for considering all the evidence submitted by his lawyer. He was also thankful for the court's finding that there were matters that needed reinvestigation.
He said a post-mortem report by South Australian forensic authorities, which was not admissible as evidence in court, had found that his mother had been murdered by blunt force trauma.
'There's still time for the DPPs to make things right and give mum the justice she deserves,' he said.
'This fight is bigger than mum. It's about justice for everyone who has been let down by a system that refuses to investigate properly.'
He also called for further forensic work at the construction site where Anna's remains were found, saying many of her bones were still missing.
'We found 34 bones and fragments. There are 206 bones in the human body. Where are the rest of the bones?' he said.
Despite concerns raised by the family about possible foul play, the coroner returned an open verdict last year, ruling that the cause of death could not be determined.
Australian high commissioner to Malaysia Danielle Heinecke, who was present in court, was pleased to note that Greg was satisfied with the court's decision.
She said the Australian government, through its foreign affairs office, would continue to provide consular assistance to the Jenkins family.
Asked if it included financial aid, Heinecke said victim support in Australia fell to state and territory governments, and did not come within federal jurisdiction.
She said Australia would continue raising the case with Malaysian authorities.
'We'll continue to support Greg in his legal pursuits and continue to raise this issue diplomatically, just as our foreign minister has many times,' she said.