Police suspect the grim discovery in the city of Cumuto may be a case of ‘unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses’.

Law enforcement officials in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago have launched an investigation after 56 bodies, mostly of children, were found abandoned at a cemetery.

On Saturday, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) announced the discovery in a statement. The bodies of 50 infants were recovered, as well as those of four adult males and two females.

At least one of the adult women and one adult male showed signs of having undergone a post-mortem examination. All the adults had identification tags, similar to what is often used at morgues.

“Preliminary indications suggest that this may be a case involving the unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses,” the police service said.

“Further forensic analysis is underway to determine the origin of the remains and any associated breaches of law or procedure.”

The discovery took place in the town of Cumuto, some 40km (25 miles) from the capital, Port of Spain.

After the remains were discovered at the cemetery, Cumuto police secured the scene and began a forensic examination. Specialised units, including homicide experts, have also been deployed to the site.

In Saturday’s statement, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro acknowledged how disturbing the discovery was.

“The nature of this discovery is deeply troubling, and we understand the emotional impact it will have on families and the wider national community,” Guevarro said.

“The TTPS is approaching this matter with urgency, sensitivity, and unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth. Every cadaver must be handled with dignity and lawful care. Any individual or institution found to have violated that duty will be held fully accountable.”

The improper disposal of human remains is a criminal offence in Trinidad and Tobago, as it is in other parts of the world.

The island nation, located north of Venezuela, has also struggled with an uptick in organised crime in recent years.

In December 2024, Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency to combat gang violence, and while its initial duration was only 15 days, the emergency declaration has remained in place, for the most part, ever since.

As recently as March, the country’s House of Representatives voted to extend the state of emergency by an additional three months.

At the time, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said 373 people had been detained under the emergency proclamation, which expanded the powers of law enforcement to make arrests and enter public and private premises.

She said her government would continue its “zero-tolerance approach to crime and criminal gangs”.

“I had previously warned the criminal gangs and detainees released from prison that decent law-abiding citizens are fed up with their criminality, and if they cannot behave themselves, I would have no hesitation in having another SoE [state of emergency] declared,” she said in a statement in March.

“If criminals want to terrorize law-abiding citizens and their families, I will do everything legally possible to terrorize criminals and those who aid and abet them.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Trinidad and Tobago has seen a sharp increase in its homicide rates.

That year, there were about 20 homicides for every 100,000 people, but the number rose to 45.7 homicides for every 100,000 in 2024, a record high.

The homicide rate, however, declined in 2025 to about 27 for every 100,000 people.