Human rights and forensic technology in Colombia

3^rd International Conference on Forensic Research and Technology

October 06-08, 2014 Hilton San Antonio Airport, USA

Nadezhda Araujo Quintero

ScientificTracks-Abstracts: J Forensic Res

Abstract :

In a country with six million of victims of the internal armed conflict that is currently advancing a peace agreement with the illegal armed group FARC, forensic anthropology stands as a field of science of vital importance for the reparation for victims, not only as a mean for positive identification of human remains, but also at the sociological level as an instrument that would allow the knowledge of truth of the Colombian society. Currently, even if the Colombian state has frequently stated its commitment with reparation of victims, there still is a profound lack of awareness of forensic anthropology itself and its usefulness, as it still is a field that is just beginning to develop within the country. In this brief exposition about the current state of forensic anthropology in Colombia, the author will address the achievements, challenges and shortcomings of the field and suggest possible ways to overcome them in a context of human rights abuses and in the eventuality of a post conflict era in Colombia.