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
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Background –
humanitarian, moral obligations, legal matters, improvement
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Dealing with the
deceased in conflict situations – logistical aspects, issues (identification, medical facilities, preservation of the
body, storage facilities, repatriation)
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Dealing with the
deceased in home Nation – PM examination, support teams, DNA issues, odontology issues, releasing of a body, investigation
.
