Forensic Anthropology in Investigations of Crimes Against Humanity: Global Dimensions and the Mid-19th-Century Ajnala (India) Massacre.
Forensic Sci Rev
; 33(1): 37-65, 2021 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33518514
ABSTRACT
Heinous crimes and brutalities have decimated humanity throughout human history. In modern times, forensic anthropologists have helped to reconstruct the nature and mechanism, intent and purpose, manner, and circumstances of various inhumane instances of genocides and violent crimes. Anthropologists endeavor to bring closure and comfort to bereaved families by disseminating information about the location, exhumation, and identification of the remains of victims. The methodological armamentarium and scope of forensic anthropology have developed much beyond the realms of the traditional biological profiling casework to the scenarios of humanitarian concerns. Humanitarian forensics focuses on the excavation and identification of the remains of victims and facilitates the dignified burial of the deceased. This review article highlights and exemplifies the significant contributions of forensic anthropological expertise in revealing various crimes against humanity and human rights violations committed in the recent past as well as in some contemporary cases reported from around the globe. It includes cases such as Guatemalan, Cambodian, and Bosnian genocides, as well as other mass killings that illustrate the efficacy of anthropological evidence in reconstructing the nature, mechanism, and circumstances related to these incidences. Special emphasis is given to the Ajnala (India) skeletal remains excavated from an abandoned well - remains reportedly belonging to 282 Indian soldiers killed in 1857 whose corpses were dumped into the said disused well by sanitary workers - indicating the importance of forensic anthropology in authenticating the occurrence of events as mentioned in historical records. Analysis of different case histories reveals that forensic anthropologists have played a significant role in recovery and identification of the victims of the many war crimes, genocides, racial conflicts, and violent cruelties committed against mankind in modern history.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Autopsia
/
Antropologia Forense
/
Vítimas de Crime
/
Crime
/
Violação de Direitos Humanos
/
Incidentes com Feridos em Massa
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Forensic Sci Rev
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Índia