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The brain removed from a New Zealand hit-and-run victim during an autopsy at a Sydney morgue has been returned to his mourning family.
The dead man's family and Sydney's Maori community were outraged when they learned the state coroner had removed Shane Hau's brain following his death last Sunday.
His family said the brain's removal was at odds with Maori culture and had stalled the traditional burial procedure.
Mr Hau's sister-in-law, Marcia Hau said three days of protests against the NSW Coroner's action, including performances of the traditional Maori haka, became a focus of attention.
"The New Zealand coroner rang the coroner here to talk to him. The influx of support from everyone here and back home is overwhelming," she said.
