'Proper regulation' needed for cryogenic preservation

The judge who granted a terminally ill child to be frozen after her death has suggested ministers should consider "proper regulation" into the practice.

Mr Justice Jackson said the 14-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, died peacefully in the knowledge she would be "preserved in the way she wished".

However he said there was problems on the day she died as "under-equipped and disorganised" hospital staff had expressed misgivings on the practice.

He said: "On [her] last day, her mother is said to have been preoccupied with the post-mortem arrangements at the expense of being fully available to [her].

"The voluntary organisation is said to have been under-equipped and disorganised, resulting in pressure being placed on the hospital to allow procedures that had not been agreed.

"Although the preparation of (her) body for cryogenic preservation was completed, the way in which the process was handled caused real concern to the medical and mortuary staff.

"It may be thought that the events in this case suggest the need for proper regulation of cryonic preservation in this country if it is to happen in future."