Casey Kasem's Body -- Rotting in Norway

Casey Kasem's body is decomposing in a Scandinavian mortuary ... and his kids have gone to court before there's no body left to bury.

Kerri Kasem filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- asking a judge to force Jean Kasem to bring Casey's remains back to the U.S.

Casey died in June, and his body has been rotting away in Norway since August.

Jean has not even had the body embalmed, according to legal docs.

The children are also worried an autopsy will be fruitless if the decomposition continues.They believe Jean's motive is to make an autopsy impossible so she will not be prosecuted for elder abuse ... something the LAPD is investigating.

In other words ... if time goes on and the body remains in Norway ... Jean could dodge a bullet.