Why is a forensic post-mortem examination carried out?

A forensic post-mortem examination is carried out when the circumstances or cause of death need to be clarified in more detail. This is particularly the case in so-called extraordinary deaths.

The examination serves to determine the cause of death and to assess whether there are indications of third-party involvement. A forensic post-mortem examination is not ordered by relatives or private individuals, but by the competent authority, usually the public prosecutor's office.