VIFM’s professional expertise, in particular as it relates to mass casualty management, disaster victim identification and the investigation of human rights violations, is used by organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Professor Stephen Cordner and Associate Professor David Wells were commissioned by the UNODC to undertake forensic medical capacity development planning and resource development for the State of Palestine. This work has included the development of an autopsy manual and the training of forensic medical staff in Palestine.
Samoa
In December 2014, the VIFM completed a two year project for institutional strengthening of Samoa’s infrastructure for the medico-legal investigation of and care for adult and child victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
Geneva
Associate Professor David Wells was the lead author for a WHO publication that provides guidelines for the Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations.
Professor Stephen Cordner, in consultation with the ICRC Forensic Advisory Board and others, edited the 2017 update of the WHO/ICRC’s The Management of Dead Bodies Following Disasters: A field manual for first responders. This was launched in Geneva in 2016.
Nepal
In late 2019 VIFM Forensic Anthropologist, Dr Samantha Rowbotham, undertook a month-long capacity development placement at the Department of Forensic Medicine (DOFM), Tribhuvan University, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Dr Rowbotham spent most of her time teaching the department’s forensic pathology students the basic components and principles of a forensic anthropological examination. Forensic anthropology is not a formally taught discipline in Nepal and the DOFM recognises that is a medico-legal limitation for both service provision and academic purposes. Dr Rowbotham provided formal lectures and practical sessions utilising the DOFM’s teaching collection of co-mingled skeletal remains.
Training covered bone identification, whole and fragmentary remains, and the basic morphological and metric methods for creating a biological profile (i.e., sex; age-at-death, biodistance and stature). The analysis of skeletal trauma was covered separately in a one-day workshop.
MeLeSoN workshop group photo (Photo courtesy of J. Acharya)
As the analysis and interpretation of traumatic injuries to the skeleton often raises medico-legal challenges in court processes, the Medico-Legal Society of Nepal (MeLeSoN) asked Dr Rowbotham to work with Dr Jenash Acharya (Acting Head of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kathmandu Medical College) to develop and deliver a one-day workshop on the analysis of skeletal trauma. The workshop, entitled “A bone tale: forensic analysis and interpretation of skeletal trauma”, was attended by more than 40 doctors from Nepal and one participant from India. Topics covered ranged from terminology, timing and taphonomy, to the analysis of blunt, sharp and projectile forces on skeletal tissues. The workshop was engaging and interactive, with participants having the opportunity to apply their new knowledge in a short practical session.
Teaching at DOFM (Photo courtesy of M. Maharjan)
Although forensic anthropology does not form a large component of medico-legal case work in Nepal, the DOFM receives approximately ten medico-legal cases of skeletonised remains each year, and skeletonised remains are still occasionally recovered as a result of the country’s past natural disasters, civil war and high-altitude trekking deaths. Dr Rowbotham said “It was an extraordinary experience. I am very grateful to the DOFM for the opportunity to undertake this work, and to gain some understanding of the case work challenges entailed with working in a disaster-prone region”.
Stephen Cordner and VIFM forensic anthropologist, Dr Soren Blau deployed to Kathmandu in 2015 for the ICRC in the aftermath of the earthquake to provide advice on Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) infrastructure and response.
Liberia
Forensic pathologists, Professor Stephen Corner and Dr Heinrich Bouwer undertook separate deployments to Liberia in August and September 2014 for the ICRC to provide advice on dead body management in the Ebola crisis.
Ukraine
VIFM forensic anthropologist, Dr Soren Blau was deployed to the Ukraine in March 2016 for four weeks. Dr Blau undertook an assessment of the main mortuary in Donetsk and training requirements for dead body management in conflict settings, the examination of remains and ante and post-mortem data management.
Afghanistan
Professor Stephen Cordner delivered intensive training in Forensic Medicine for Afghani doctors in Kabul in August 2015 for the ICRC.
Thailand
Tsunami – need details
Netherlands
Identification of victims of MH17 – need details
Sri Lanka
The VIFM has also delivered forensic medical training in Sri Lanka and provided advice on mortuary planning and management.
Kiribati
The VIFM provided training for local authorities on Management of the Dead in disasters at the request of the WHO.
Cook Islands
The VIFM forensic pathologists and technicians visited Rarotonga in the Cook Islands in 2016 to undertake forensic autopsies at the request of the Ministry of Justice.
Japan
Professor Stephen Cordner deployed to Japan for the ICRC following the 2014 to provide advice on management of the dead.
Sydney
The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) commissioned the VIFM in May 2018 to undertake a review to improve the practice and response of its member organisations in the prevention of sexual misconduct.
Canada
At the International Association of Forensic Sciences Meeting in Ontario in 2017, the VIFM hosted a day-long APMLA workshop on the Forensic Response to Mass Disasters and Terrorist Attacks in the Asia Pacific Region.
South Africa
The VIFM Forensic Technical Services and CAE Manager, Dr Jodie Leditschke was invited by the ICRC to be a lecturer in the training program for forensic doctors, disaster managers and government representatives from Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Mozambique, Tanzania, Libya and South Africa.
India
Professor Stephen Cordner participated in the inaugural International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics in Gujarat, India.
Malaysia
The VIFM developed a training curriculum on the Management of the Dead in disasters for ASEAN Police First Responders. The first workshop was delivered to the Malaysian National Police in July 2017 and a second workshop was delivered in the Philippines in November 2018.
Philippines
Professor Stephen Cordner deployed to the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 to provide advice to the WHO on Management of the Dead. The VIFM delivered training in management of the Dead in disasters for police first responders in Manila in 2018.
Melbourne
The VIFM receives regular visits by international forensic medical delegations and also hosts training placements by international forensic doctors and scientists.
Gambia
In December of 2017, the National Assembly of The Gambia passed a bill establishing a Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) which aims to “investigate and establish an impartial historical record of the nature, causes and extent of violations and abuses of human rights in the period from July 1994 to January 2017”. Part of the work of the TRRC is to “establish and make known the fate or whereabouts of disappeared victims” (TRRC Act 2017, page 9). Location and identification of the missing is therefore essential.
Associate Professor Soren Blau spent 8 days in Gambia working with TRRC investigators and commissioners providing forensic advice for specific cases. While exhumation has been a common activity of many truth commissions, the implementation of exhumation is the first endeavour of this kind for the TRRC in The Gambia.
