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Lic . Silvana Turner Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) eaaf

Twenty-five years of Democracy in Argentina The search for the disappeared Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights. Lic . Silvana Turner Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) www.eaaf.org. Political violence in Latin America.

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Lic . Silvana Turner Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) eaaf

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  1. Twenty-fiveyears of Democracy in Argentina The search for the disappeared Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights Lic. Silvana Turner Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF)www.eaaf.org

  2. Political violence in Latin America Disappeared/killed by political reasons (1960 – present): Guatemala (250.000) Colombia (100.000) El Salvador (75.000) Peru (70.000) Argentina (10.000) Chile (3.000) Gral. Pinochet

  3. Mothers of Plaza de Mayo

  4. Some Truth Commissions Argentina (1983/84) 1976-83 Chile (1990/91) 1973-90 El Salvador (1992/93) 1980-91 Guatemala (1997/99) 1962-96 Peru (2001/03) 1980-00

  5. Chronology 1 • Militarydictatorship: March 24, 1976 • Self-amnestyLaw (Law 22.924): Sept. 27, 1983 • Returntodemocracy: Dec. 10, 1983 • Self-amnestyLawAnnulment.(Law 23.050): Dec. 29,1983 • CONADEP’sofficialreport: Sept. 20,1984

  6. Disposal of Bodies

  7. Search and recovery of remains 1984

  8. Forensic system in Latin America Not very independent Judiciary, Prosecutor's office, Police No anthropologist, archaeologists, etc forensic specialists Cases of complicity Few independent options No integration of families/communities

  9. Victims’ relatives

  10. EAAF foundation (1984) • Independent forensic alternative to the official forensic system. • Focuses on the investigation of human rights violations • Special emphasis: • the rights of the relatives/communities of disappeared people, • their necessity to know and participate.

  11. Chronology 2 • Trials of Top Junta Members: • April 22, 1985 • Full Stop Law: • Dec. 5, 1986 • DueObedienceImpunityLaw: May 13, 1987 • AmnestyLaw (1st Presidentialpardon): • Oct. 30, 1989 • AmnestyLaw (2nd Presidentialpardon): • Dec. 28, 1990

  12. Dr. Clyde Snow

  13. EAAF’s international work(1986-2008)

  14. EAAF’sobjectives • To provide evidence in court/special commissions of inquiry. • To assist the relatives of the victims in pursuit of their rights to recover the remains of their loved ones. • To collaborate in the training of new teams in other countries where investigations into human rights violations are necessary. • To contribute to the historical reconstruction of the recent past.

  15. Forensic Anthropology Forensicanthropology uses methods and techniquesfromphysicalanthropology, archaeology, and forensic medicine toinvestigate legal cases involvingskeletaloralmostskeletonnizedremains.

  16. EAAF investigationprocess • Historical investigation: • Recovery and analysis of oral and written sources. • Collection of Ante Mortem data • Archaeological work: • Recovery and analysis of the findings. • Laboratory analysis: • Identification of remains, and determination of the cause of death.

  17. Zona 2 • Military division of the country Zonas Argentina -EAAF-

  18. Map of Illegal Detention Centers

  19. Map of cemeteries with NN graves (in red)

  20. Testimonies of victims at Truth Commission -EAAF-

  21. Cemetery records

  22. Intelligence reports

  23. Media reports • “30 bodies were found in Pilar”

  24. Collection of Ante Mortem information Building a relation of confidence and trust. Respect cultural and religious context. Interviews with different members of the family and friends. More than one meeting, proper time and place. Use of specific forms. Specific strategy for blood/saliva samples for DNA. Medical, anthropological, odontological information. Persona effects, clothing.

  25. East Timor, meeting with relatives before exhumations, 2005

  26. Darfur, Sudan, 2004, recording graves

  27. Howtoorganizetheinformation? The use of computer experts: working with investigators. Defining what do we want to collect. Data bases on: List of victims (name, sex, age, date of disapp., place). Ante mortem information. Location of possible grave sites. Chronology of the conflict. Information from the media. Official documents. Sharing information among NGO´s. Security of the information.

  28. 2nd stage - Forensic Archaeology Forensic archaeology applies the techniques of the traditional archaeology to a legal context. Capacity and knowledge to analyze a “crime scene” that involves exhumation of bodies, recovery of remains and objects spread about the surface. Minimum field team: Forensic physician, Forensic anthropologist/archaeologist, Scene of crime officers, Photographer, Planimetry, and Security.

  29. Guatemala

  30. South Africa

  31. El Salvador

  32. Ethiopia

  33. Croacia

  34. Argentina

  35. Argentina

  36. El Salvador

  37. Argentina

  38. Argentina

  39. Interdisciplinary Team Forensic physician Forensic anthropologist Forensic odontologist Forensic radiologist Other disciplines (Biologists, entomologists, chemists, etc.)

  40. Are the remains human? Is the case of forensic interest? How many individuals are there in the sample? Identification Cause of death

  41. PREPARATION OF THE REMAINS X-Raying Takingsamples

  42. CLEANING

  43. RECONSTRUCTION

  44. LABELLING EXTENSION IN ANATOMICAL POSITION INVENTORY DEAL WITH NON BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE (records, transfers)

  45. Biological Profile DETERMINATION OF SEX ESTIMATION OF AGE ESTIMATION OF ANCESTRY ESTIMATION OF STATURE DESCRIPTION OF PATHOLOGIES, ANOMALIES & ANTE-MORTEN TRAUMAS ODONTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS COMPARISON OF PRE & POST-MORTEM DATA: IDENTIFICATION

  46. EAAF

  47. Identification of the victims • The information from the study is contrasted with the ante-mortem data obtained through historical investigations and interviews with relatives, as well as with the contextual information and artifacts from the excavation (type of burial, presence of ballistic material or elements indicative of violence, etc.). Hypothesis of identity In the absence of medical, x-rays, dental records, etc., this hypothesis should be verified through genetic analysis.

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