KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET
The long and painful saga related to the death of an infant in Cape Dorset may finally be put to rest this year after chief coroner Padma Suramala announced Feb. 16 that her office will hold an inquest.

"The office of the chief coroner is announcing that it will hold an inquest to review the circumstances surrounding the reportable death of baby Makibi Timilak, who died in Cape Dorset on April 5, 2012," stated Suramala in a news release

Retired lawyer Katherine Peterson conducted a review last year into the Department of Health's handling of the baby's death.

While her report A Journey Through Heartache, released in December, contained almost 50 recommendations aimed at the Department of Health, Peterson stepped outside the bounds of the bureaucratic critique, extending a heartfelt plea on behalf of the infant's mother, Neevee Akesuk, and father, Luutaaq Qaumaqiaq.

In her report, Peterson said she titled the document to acknowledge the pain of the parents who lost their child under circumstances that remain largely unknown, despite three pathology reports.

Peterson also states in the report that the parents deserve to have a full inquest carried out surrounding the death of their child.

"The varying reports of the chief coroner as to the cause of death of Baby Makibi has left the community of Cape Dorset uncertain as to the facts, medical opinions, distrustful and angry," stated Peterson.

"Various versions of events at the time have emerged leaving a situation of conflicting facts. These conflicting facts and medical opinions are best addressed by a formal inquest in the community regarding the death of Baby Makibi."

Suramala had earlier concluded, in June 2015, the case did not qualify for a discretionary inquest.

"The inquest will take place in Cape Dorset. The specific date of the inquest will be determined once further logistics have been confirmed," stated Suramala.