Digital evidence is becoming a routine fixture for war crimes investigations, including the one focused on Ukraine, changing the landscape for international tribunal investigations.
“The camera never lies,” goes the old adage. But how true is that?
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Human memory doesn’t work like a video camera, simply recording a scene as it happens. But researchers know how to help children recall information accurately.
The remains of murder victims often turn up in suitcases, bins, and similar items. Forensic researchers in Australia are leading the way in helping to solve such cases.
A Ukrainian war crimes investigator photographs the aftermath of a Russian missile attack in Zatoka, Ukraine, on July 26, 2022.
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Other recent conflicts that resulted in war crimes allegations help explain how complex it will be to gather evidence of war crimes in Ukraine – and provide answers for families of victims of the war.
A protest against police brutality outside parliament buildings in Nairobi.
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There are no COVID-specific protocols for forensic officers collecting evidence from crime scenes. New recommendations suggest how teams and their equipment can be reorganised to minimise the risk.
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As a forensic scientist who has worked at thousands of homicide, sexual assault and serious crime scenes, I can tell you the process is not as straightforward as depicted on popular true crime shows.
The 144 mental health care users were failed from the get go.
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An immediate police investigation into the deaths was prevented because the cause of death was indicated as ‘natural causes’ on their death certificates.
Researchers are figuring out how plants respond to the presence of human cadavers. The findings could prove important for discovering the locations of murder victims or mass graves.
Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science, Murdoch University; Research Fellow, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University; Adjunct Research Fellow, Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia., Murdoch University
Program Lead, National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons; Director, Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research; Associate Professor, Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney