The following day, the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine was asked to assist the Australian Federal Police launch a mission to PNG to help with the disaster victim identification (DVI) operation taking place at the local hospital. VIFM Forensic Pathologist, Dr Paul Bedford and Senior Forensic Technical Officer, Rebecca Ellen were deployed to PNG to assist the specialist DVI team.  The other members of the team included a NSW dentist, three AFP members and a local team from PNG, some of whom had recently undergone the AFP’s DVI training.

As with many DVI operations, the specialist DVI team faced many challenges. However, together with our PNG colleagues who took every opportunity to learn and assist in the identification process, the team were able to collect high quality information such as DNA samples from the deceased and ante-mortem reference samples from living relatives. These samples have been transferred back to Australia for testing.

The VIFM is proud of the close professional relationship it shares with the AFP and has worked alongside them a number of times both in the field and in training. As the reconciliation phase of this operation continues both at home and in PNG, the two organisations continue to work together towards the ultimate outcome – returning the deceased to their families.

Among the presenters at the symposium was Dr Richard Bassed who delivered a paper on the topic of forensic dentistry and age determination of individuals. Dr Bassed received an award for best paper at the Symposium and has recently received his PhD for his thesis on the same topic. Dr Anthony Hill and Dr Jeremy Graham also presented papers on forensic odontology and Associate Professor David Ranson spoke about the Jama inquiry.

Read the abstracts of these presentations below.

Links

See Dr Anthony Hill at the Symposium on ABC News: Click here to see video – 17 October 2011

Read more about Forensic Odontology at the VIFM: http://www.vifm.org/forensics/medico-legal-death-investigation/centre-for-human-identification/

Visit  the AusFO website: http://www.ausfo.com.au/http://theconversation.edu.au/articles/bone-of-contention-can-wrist-x-rays-really-reveal-the-age-of-people-smugglers-3401

Abstracts

Assoc. Professor David Ranson: The Jama Inquiry and its legal implications.

The conviction, appeal and subsequent release from gaol of a young male in Victoria raised very serious concerns about the operation of clinical forensic examination facilities. However, the subsequent inquiry uncovered deficiencies in areas of policing, the office of public prosecutions and the trial process. The checks and balances of the criminal justice system, designed to safeguard our community from miscarriages of justice were observed by an independent investigation to have failed and that failure has significant implications for the interplay between forensic practitioners and the other participants in the criminal justice system.

This paper explores the events surrounding this conviction and discusses what went wrong and how such a sequence of events could be prevented in the future.

Dr Tony Hill:  CT imaging as an aid to forensic odontology investigations

The use of CT imaging techniques to compliment the traditional pathology autopsy is the subject of much investigation worldwide and its value in medico-legal death investigation is now well established. It allows the investigator to gather information without the need for extensive invasive techniques, thus overcoming many cultural and religious issues concerning treatment of deceased persons

During the February 2009 Victorian bushfire incident, as part of standard protocols, all victims admitted to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine were CT scanned.

This presentation will focus primarily on the use of images by the forensic investigating teams in age determination, gender discrimination, identification of objects in the possession of deceased persons, the discrimination of different restorative materials evident within the oral cavity and possible identification of individuals through use of CT images.

Dr Richard Bassed:  Adult or child – How certain can we be? PhD Research.

The ability to assign accurate age estimates to human remains and living individuals is becoming an increasingly important element of forensic practice. In mass fatality events where many people have lost their lives and are often unable to be visually identified, being able to separate individuals based upon their age as determined by skeletal and/or dental development is a vital part of the disaster victim identification operation.

Age estimation also plays an increasingly important role in the assessment of living individuals of unknown age who have entered a foreign jurisdiction with suspect identification papers or with no identification documents at all.

Determination the age of an individual – as either an adult or a child – is of vital importance in terms of how that person will be treated by the law in criminal prosecutions, immigration hearings, licensing applications and, increasingly importantly, determination of refugee status.

I examined three developing anatomical sites, two skeletal (the spheno-occipital synchondrosis and the medial clavicular epiphysis ) and one dental (the 3rd molar tooth) in an attempt to devise a method for more accurate age estimation of individuals in the range 15 to 25 years.

I found that the multi-factorial approach reduced age ranges by approximately half, thus providing far higher precision and with no loss of accuracy at the 95% CI level.

Dr Jeremy Graham:  Investigations into an over—modelled skull from the Sepik River

This skull is one of a collection held at The University of Melbourne. A post-graduate student’s research project allowed a full description of this wonderful artifact for posterity. Whilst the principal aim was the estimation of the individual’s age at death, further investigations uncovered interesting facets into its provenance, its production and its uses.

Dr Richard Bassed, Forensic Odontologist

The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine would like to congratulate Dr Richard Bassed on receiving his PhD from Monash University. Based at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Southbank, Dr Bassed is a Forensic Dentist and a doctoral student at Monash University.

The topic of Dr Bassed’s thesis is age estimation in both living individuals and human remains. The ability to assign accurate age estimates to human remains and living individuals is becoming an increasingly important element of forensic practice. In mass fatality events where many people have lost their lives and are often unable to be visually identified, being able to separate individuals based upon their age as determined by skeletal and/or dental development is a vital part of the disaster victim identification operation.

Age estimation also plays an increasingly important role in the assessment of living individuals of unknown age who have entered a foreign jurisdiction with suspect identification papers or with no identification documents at all. Determination the age of an individual – as either an adult or a child – is of vital importance in terms of how that person will be treated by the law in criminal prosecutions, immigration hearings, licensing applications and, increasingly importantly, determination of refugee status.

Dr Bassed examined three developing anatomical sites, two skeletal (the spheno-occipital synchondrosis and the medial clavicular epiphysis ) and one dental (the 3rd molar tooth) in an attempt to devise a method for more accurate age estimation of individuals in the range 15 to 25 years. I found that the multi-factorial approach reduced age ranges by approximately half, thus providing far higher precision and with no loss of accuracy at the 95% CI level.

ABSTRACT

This thesis examines three developing anatomical sites, two skeletal and one dental, in an attempt to devise a method for more accurately estimating the age of unknown age individuals in the age range 15-25 years. Individuals in this age cohort have been the subject of relatively little research as by the time a person reaches 15 years of age there are few anatomical sites still undergoing development, and all of these have been reported to be quite variable in developmental timing. The three age markers examined were the spheno-occipital synchondrosis, the medial clavicular epiphysis, and the 3rd molar tooth. All of these were examined using MDCT scanning as the imaging modality, and the sample was derived from the large database of post-mortem full body CT scans of deceased individuals located at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Melbourne, Australia. The study sample consisted of 1006 full body CT scans of individuals aged between 15 and 25 years.

Each age marker was examined and a developmental score was applied according to accepted scoring methodology developed by others. Each anatomical site was individually assessed for its relationship with chronological age, and it was found that the 3rd molar tooth ad medial clavicle followed expected trends as to variability and developmental timing. The spheno-occipital synchondrosis was found to fuse earlier than expected in this population and had essentially completed development by the age of 17 years.

An investigation was undertaken to determine if combining 3rd molar and medial clavicle into one multiple regression analysis, the “multi-factorial approach” would result in an improvement in precision and accuracy of age estimates when compared to age estimations calculated using each age marker individually. It was found that the multi-factorial approach reduced age ranges by approximately half, thus providing far higher precision and with no loss of accuracy at the 95%CI level.

Further investigations were conducted to assess the effect of socio-economic status upon development in the Australian population with findings suggesting that there is no appreciable effect upon development between the highest and lowest socio-economic groups in this country. Left/right fluctuating asymmetry was also examined, with results suggesting that in approximately 3.4% of individuals the difference in development between left and right sides will have an appreciable effect upon age estimation calculations.

To contact Dr Richard Bassed, please email communications@vifm.org

Assoc. Prof David Ranson and Dr Noel Woodford

Associate Professor David Ranson and Dr Noel Woodford will be attending the Annual General Meeting and Strategic Planning Council Meeting of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia from the 2nd of November to the 6th of November.

This meeting will be held in Auckland,  New Zealand in association with the New Zealand Pathology Society meeting. The meeting sets the strategic direction for the College in 2012 and includes specialist planning in forensic pathology and this year will also be involved in the establishment of forensic odontology accreditation within the Faculty of Oral Pathology.

For more information, visit the RCPA Website http://www.rcpa.edu.au

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VIFM Director Appointed Patron of African Forensic Forum

The Director of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Professor Stephen Cordner, is the inaugural patron of the African Network on Forensic Medicine.

The Forum was held recently in Gaborone, Botswana. Its aim is to enable the development of networks and partnerships which will ultimately provide mutual support to benefit domestic forensic pathology.

Funded and convened by the Australian Federal Police with assistance from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine the three day meeting brought together 20 forensic medical pathology and clinical practitioners from 11 countries throughout southern and eastern Africa.

Countries represented included Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Dr F Woldetsadik Head, Public Health Unit, WHO, Uganda spoke about the role of the World Health Organisation in Uganda. Dr Steve Naidoo was elected as the interim chairperson of the new group. The next meeting is planned for September 2011 at a location to be decided.

Professor Cordner was thrilled with the response to the first forum. “The three day meeting provided a stimulating forum for forensic medical practitioners to meet and discuss similar and different needs pertaining to their disciplines,” he said. “I hope that the formation of the African Network of Forensic Medicine will be the first step in augmenting professional and personal networks and subsequently the practice of forensic medicine.”

In addition to the success of the three day forum, interviews for eligible candidates for the Masters in Forensic Medicine were conducted. Successful applicants will shortly be offered a position in this new joint AFP-VIFM and then on-site at the VIFM.

In his article, Dr Bassed argues that the wrist x-ray technique of age determination, which was developed in the 1950′s, is outdated, inaccurate and raises ethical concerns.

To view the full article, click on the link below:

“Bone of Contention: can wrist x-rays really reveal the age of people smugglers?”

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The Hon John Coldrey QC officially opens VIFM's new Molecular Biology laboratory.

On July 1st 2011, staff of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine celebrated an important milestone in the ongoing major redevelopment of the Coronial Services Centre in Southbank when the Chair of the VIFM Council, The Hon. John Coldrey QC, officially declared the new VIFM Molecular Biology laboratory “open for business!”.

Affectionately known as “Dadna’s Lab”, this new laboratory is one of the first of the forensic science laboratories to be redeveloped and will see the continuation of molecular biology services and research lead by Dr Dadma Hartman, Manager of Molecular Biology services at VIFM.

Staff from every area of the Institute were able to explore the new purpose built laboratory where (after a thorough decontamination of the space) VIFM staff will perform critical DNA profiling services for Coronial cases involving the identification of deceased persons, and paternity testing services direct to the Victorian community.

For more information about molecular biology at VIFM, click here.

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Scientists at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine have identified the body of Ned Kelly, the Attorney General Robert Clark announced today.

A DNA sample taken from Melbourne school teacher Leigh Olver, who is Ned’s sister Ellen’s great grandson has confirmed the body is that of Australia’s most famous son.

An exhaustive historical and forensic science exercise, employing the expertise of historians, pathologists, anthropologists, odontologists, radiologists, and ballistics and DNA experts, has identified the iconic bushranger’s remains among those transferred from the Old Melbourne Gaol to Pentridge Prison in 1929 and then exhumed again in 2009.

They were among the remains of 33 other individuals, many of which were co-mingled and incomplete, making the result even more extraordinary. Ned’s is an almost complete skeleton found buried in a wooden axe box; however most of the skull is missing.

The project involved collaboration with the ancient DNA laboratory EAAF in Argentina, members of which have worked with the VIFM on human rights projects.

Mr Clark said he was enormously impressed with the efforts of the forensic team.

“This is an extraordinary result from our forensic team here in Victoria,” he said.

“To think a group of scientists could identify the body of a man who was executed more than 130 years ago, moved and buried in a haphazard fashion among 33 other prisoners, most of whom are not identified, is amazing.”

“We are so fortunate to have this calibre of expertise, all under the one roof, here in Victoria,” Mr Clark said.

The investigation began when a skull believed to belong to Ned Kelly was handed into the VIFM on November 11, 2009 by Mr Tom Baxter.  The skull had been stolen from the Old Melbourne Gaol in December 1978 where it had been on display next to the death mask of Ned Kelly. The ink inscription “E. Kelly” was written on the side.

The State Coroner ruled the skull to be out of the coronial jurisdiction because death had occurred more than 100 years previously.  The Victorian state government asked Professor Stephen Cordner and his team of forensic experts to try and identify the skull.

Through a series of craniofacial super-imposition, CT Scanning, anthropology and DNA tests, the team concluded it was not Ned.

Although the identity of the skull is still unknown, the team is continuing testing and is hopeful of a positive result in the near future.

While the skull investigation was underway, the team turned its expertise to trying to find Ned.

It looked to the Pentridge remains which were exhumed in 2009 and are currently being held at the Institute on behalf of Heritage Victoria.

Through a series of CT scanning, X rays, pathology, odontology, and anthropology expertise plus extensive historical research, the team could confirm that this skeleton belonged to Ned Kelly.

A DNA sample taken from Mr Olver was compared to the remains and the identification was complete.

The 20 month investigation has involved several Victorian Government agencies including Heritage Victoria, the Coroners Court of Victoria and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, as well as the assistance of the National Trust and the Old Melbourne Gaol, the University of Melbourne, the EAAF Laboratory in Argentina, the Argentine Ambassador, the Benalla Pioneer and Costume Museum, the Police Museum, the Victorian State Library, the Public Records Office and many others.  It was specifically funded by the Attorney General.

“Ned’s Head” a documentary which outlines this investigation, goes to air on SBS One this Sunday September 4^th at 7.30pm.

Further information: Deb Withers  – 0417 398 448 -  deb@debwithers.com