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Management of the Dead in

Armed Conflicts and Catastrophes

 

 

A growing need has been identified for  training on the management of the dead in armed conflict, situations of armed violence and catastrophes from the ICRC and external stakeholders, including armed forces, governmental agencies and non-governmental organisations. In order to better respond to these needs, the ICRC and Queen Mary's, University of London (QMUL), with which the Assistance Division signed an MOU in 2005 for cooperation in training and publications in the field of forensic sciences) set up an international course aimed at those responsible for the management of the dead in contexts of armed conflict and in catastrophes. The first course took place in March of 2008 and was regarded by all attendees as a great success.

 

The second course, which is now established on an annual basis, was held at Ecogia, the ICRC’s training centre in  Geneva (Switzerland), between 2nd and 6th of February 2009. It was organized jointly by the International Committee of the Red Cross and Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences of, Barts and the London  School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London.

The participants were both specialists and non – specialists, from worldwide organizations and who have an overall responsibility in the management of the dead in armed conflicts and catastrophes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Participants

       

        

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Scope of the workshop

 

Ø     Legal & Ethical Framework including role of the ICRC, National Societies, UN, NGO’s, Interpol etc

Ø     The Dead – Public Health Considerations – Myths.

Ø     Overview of lessons learnt from previous armed conflicts and catastrophes

Ø     Introduction to Identification of the dead and management of relatives and friends – Legal considerations in different counties

Ø     Review of how data is stored and retrieved to assist in the identification process

Ø     Preparedness of countries to deal with armed conflicts and catastrophes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lectures and practical classes were presented by a number of invited experts including:

 

-       Prof. Gernot Brauchle; Notfallspsychologie, UMIT –University for Health and Life Sciences, Hall in Tirol, Austria

-       Ms. Monique Crettol, Protection Division, ICRC

-       Dr. Lawrence De Barros, psychologist, Assistance Division, ICRC

-       Ms. Cordula Droege, lawyer, ICRC

-       Dr. Eric Dykes, President, Institute of Emergency Management, U.K. Honorary Senior Lecturer, Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences  (Lecturer and facilitator of the course)

-       Mr. Simon Dzidrovski, Specialized Officer, Identification Branch / DVI, Operational Police Support Directorate, INTERPOL

-       Mr. Mick Free, Superintendent, ACPO Emergency Procedure and DVI Coordinator, U.K.

-       Dr. William Goodwin, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Forensic & Investigative Science, UCLAN, U.K.

-       Ms. Ute Hofmeister, forensic advisor, ICRC

-       Patrick Kilchenmann, Deputy Head of the Assistance Division, ICRC

-       Mr. Ben Lark, Weapons' Contamination Unit, ICRC

-       Dr. Roy N. Palmer, H M Coroner Southern district of Greater London, U.K.

-       Dr. Sigiriya Aebischer Perone, physician, Human Resources, ICRC

-       Ms. Michelle Rockwell, public relations officer, ICRC

-       Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, forensic coordinator, ICRC (Lecturer and facilitator of the course)

-       Dr. Orlando Trujillo, clinical psychiatrist, U.K.

-       Prof. Peter Vanezis, Director, Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences, Barts and The London, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, U.K. (Academic director of the course)

-       Mr. Richard Ward, Blake Emergency Services, U.K. (Lecturer and facilitator of the course)

 

 

Course lectures/practicals: summary content

 

1) International Legal Framework

Ms C. Droege

-       Death as a legal event and its regulations

-       National and International Law

-       Main purposes of Human Rights Law (HRL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

-       Search for and the identification of missing people

-       Documentation and belongings found on sites.

-       Family and its rights 

-       Identifying the cause of dead

 

2) Forensic investigation into the missing in armed conflicts and catastrophes: ICRC's principles and recommendations  

Dr M. Tidball-Binz

-       ICRC – background, purpose and mission

-       IHL & HRL – purposes, comparison and differences

-       Missing people

-       Conditions and practical consideration for the recovery and identification of the dead in armed conflicts and catastrophes

 

3) Public health concerns related to the management of the dead in armed conflicts and catastrophes

Sigiriya Aebischer Perone

-       Myths & facts

-       Transmission of infectious diseases

-       Epidemics after natural disasters

-       Potential risks of infectious disease transmission

-       Documented health risks

 

4) Management of the dead: Outline of the process (benchmarks, responsibilities & tools)

E. Dykes

-       Identification

-       post mortem information,

-       comparison and successful match of AM and PM data, methods

-       Case study

-       Further processing of bodies or body parts after recovery

 

5) Introduction to practical exercises, Recording of Data and Introduction to Identification  Forms

E. Dykes

-       Interpol forms, ICRC forms and Spoons forms

-       Recording the data ( AM data and PM data – matching and comparison)

 

6) Domestic Legal Framework – Roles and Responsibilities – The (UK)

Coroners System.  

R. Palmer, Coroner South London

-       HM coroners – statutory, law, roles

-       HM coroners in England and Wales

-       Differences in Legal Systems

-       Death abroad, status of the HM Coroner

-       Inquests and other inquiries

       

7) Issues of weapons' contamination

B. Lark

-       Threads to people, examples of weapons

-       Safety, obtaining information and planning during armed conflicts       

-       How to spot a potential danger?

-       Warning sighs – examples

-       Basic safe behavior.

 

8) Management of Fatal War Casualties

 

9) Archaeological Recovery of Human Remains – The Investigation of Mass Graves

U. Hofmeister

-       Forensic Archeology – purposes and strategy

-       Investigation and reconnaissance – site assessment

-       Exhumation – logistics, excavation, evidence, mapping

-       Surface remains recovery

 

10) Scene Management and Body Recovery Practical:

E. Dykes

-       Principles and Problems Associated with single  body recovery

-       Technical Aspects of Scene Management and Recovery

-       (security, chain of custody, photography, labelling, body bags, body holding area, storage, documentation)

 

11) Post Mortem Evidence Collection from human remains

Professor P. Vanezis

-       Non – decomposed  complete cadaver

-       fragmented, decomposed & skeletonised

-       mortuary facilities, reception of remains,

-       associated evidence and preliminary evaluation,

-       documentation, external examination, internal examination, sample collection and storage, continuity of evidence)

 

12) DNA – Use in Forensic Human Identification & practical considerations

W. Goodwin

-       Identification from DNA, summary

-       Agencies and organizations (UK & USA) – how do they deal with conflicts and catastrophes

-       Collection of  DNA

-       Statistical issues

 

13) Restoring family links: the role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

M. Crettol

-       Approach based on rights and responsibilities

-       Basics of international law

-       Rights of individuals

-       Restoration of a family links – response and activities

-       Areas of intervention

-       How to reestablish communication?

-       Family links network - the role of the ICRC, CTA, National Societies and International Federation

 

14) Practical exercise: Mass fatalities: recovery and documentation

 

15) Ante Mortem Data Collection

U. Hofmeister and E. Dykes

-       Difference between Ante Mortem and Post Mortem Data

-       Ante Mortem – what is it, why do we need it?

-       Formats and guidelines for collection of AM Data

-       AM & PM comparison

-       AM collection strategies

-       Sites and recovery points – background, documentation

-       Computer software in AM & PM data: standardization, objectives, archiving, reporting, searching, analysis and matching 

 

16) Family Liaison in disaster response.

Mick Free

-       Family liaison – aim and purposes

-       Key elements – identification, investigation, agencies, community and benefits

-       Humanitarian assistance centers

-       Training, coordination and deployment 

 

17) Psychosocial aspects of management of the dead

Panel presentation: Prof. G. Brauchle; Dr. L. De Barros; Dr. O. Trujillo

-       Psychological aspects of the catastrophe

-       What tasks different teams of experts have in conflicts and catastrophes?

-       Data collection and questionnaires.

-       Posttraumatic stress disorder – explanation, criteria, symptoms and factors

-       Stress management for body handlers – organization level and personal level

 

18) The Media and Casualty Bureau

Panel presentation: M. Rockwell; R. Ward

-       Why speak to the media?

-       News and its impact

-       Media and journalist – purposes

-       Tips for working with the media – do’s and don’ts

 

19) Practical session: Interviewing the bereaved & AMD collection AMD/PMD comparison

E. Dykes

 

20) Conclusions, Release and Disposal of Identified Remains and Property

P. Vanezis

 

21) The Identification Commission – Composition, Roles and Responsibilities - Identification Criteria

E. Dykes

-       Reasons for identification

-       DVI (disaster victim identification) – expertise, comparison and interpretation of AM data and PM data

-       Current situation of UK agreed policy – identification of the victims (incident commander, senior identification manager, PM and AM teams, identification commission) 

 

22) Interpol DVI

S. Dzidrovski

-       Purposes and structure of Interpol

-       History, philosophy and achievements

-       Disasters classification and management

-       Victim identification 

-       Equipment and personnel of the Interpol

-       Observation: police, medical, dental, anthropological, DNA analysis

 

23) Sanitisation, Transportation and Repatriation of Identified Remains

R. Ward

-       Storage of remains – security, privacy and logistic aspects

-       Transportation of the remains – purpose

-       Repatriation of remains/identified – process and issues

-       Procedures in countries – differences

 

24) Practical session: Reconciliation Commission, Release of Findings & Press

Conference

E. Dykes and R. Ward

 

25) Management of the Dead: Conflict Situations

John Yoward

-       Background – humanitarian, moral obligations, legal matters, improvement

-       Dealing with the deceased in conflict situations – logistical aspects, issues (identification, medical facilities, preservation of the body, storage facilities, repatriation) 

-       Dealing with the deceased in home Nation – PM examination, support teams, DNA issues, odontology issues, releasing of a body, investigation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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