I don't believe they should be allowed to smell the odor. They won't know what they are smelling other than what they have been told, so likley they will believe that it must be decomp because they have never smelled anything else like that. And they really are not in a position to judge, if they have never smelled it before.
i agree..having smelled it myself a few times.. they would have no idea,,nothing to compare it to... nothing to connect it to but....words... they would need to, imo, smell it ON or FROM a real... ick..body