The importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic context

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dc.contributor.advisorFriedling, Louise Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorMaistry, Sairitaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSchwab, Petraen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-07-20T11:55:17Z
dc.date.available2016-07-20T11:55:17Z
dc.date.issued2016en_ZA
dc.description.abstractFire-related fatalities pose many investigative challenges, in part due to their fragility. This can be managed with the creation of protocols, specific to the environment in which they are implemented. Currently, no protocol for the recovery and handling of fire-related fatalities exists in Cape Town, South Africa. Additionally, the challenges, risk factors, and resources present at forensic scenes in the area have not been documented. From April to December of 2015, fire-related death scenes were attended with Salt River Forensic Pathology Laboratory, which serves the West Metropole of Cape Town. Details of the fatal fire scenes were noted, including the challenges faced, and the settings in which the fires occurred. Emphasis was placed on methodologies used to recover, handle, and transport remains, and the availability and utilisation of resources. The affect these methodologies had on the condition of the remains between scene and autopsy was assessed. In total 32 fire-related death scenes were attended, with 48 decedents recovered. Males predominated (64.6%), and the majority were young adults (75%). Accidental deaths were most prevalent (79.2%), however a fire-related suicide and homicides highlighted the importance of thorough investigation. Informal housing constituted 68.8% of the fatal fire scenes and presented unique scene constraints, including no direct road access at 50% of these scenes. Investigative limitations included: inadequate interagency communication, resulting in a lack of collateral information available at autopsy; deficient scene and contextual documentation; non-standardised recovery methodologies; insufficient availability and utilisation of resources (including safety equipment); and no specialised personnel (e.g. forensic pathologists/ anthropologists) conducting scene recovery. The majority of cases (60.4%) were further fragmented or fractured by time of autopsy, illustrating the necessity for improvement of current methodologies and the importance of the involvement of forensic anthropologists in recovery of fragmentary remains.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationSchwab, P. (2016). <i>The importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic context</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20514en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSchwab, Petra. <i>"The importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic context."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20514en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSchwab, P. 2016. The importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic context. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Schwab, Petra AB - Fire-related fatalities pose many investigative challenges, in part due to their fragility. This can be managed with the creation of protocols, specific to the environment in which they are implemented. Currently, no protocol for the recovery and handling of fire-related fatalities exists in Cape Town, South Africa. Additionally, the challenges, risk factors, and resources present at forensic scenes in the area have not been documented. From April to December of 2015, fire-related death scenes were attended with Salt River Forensic Pathology Laboratory, which serves the West Metropole of Cape Town. Details of the fatal fire scenes were noted, including the challenges faced, and the settings in which the fires occurred. Emphasis was placed on methodologies used to recover, handle, and transport remains, and the availability and utilisation of resources. The affect these methodologies had on the condition of the remains between scene and autopsy was assessed. In total 32 fire-related death scenes were attended, with 48 decedents recovered. Males predominated (64.6%), and the majority were young adults (75%). Accidental deaths were most prevalent (79.2%), however a fire-related suicide and homicides highlighted the importance of thorough investigation. Informal housing constituted 68.8% of the fatal fire scenes and presented unique scene constraints, including no direct road access at 50% of these scenes. Investigative limitations included: inadequate interagency communication, resulting in a lack of collateral information available at autopsy; deficient scene and contextual documentation; non-standardised recovery methodologies; insufficient availability and utilisation of resources (including safety equipment); and no specialised personnel (e.g. forensic pathologists/ anthropologists) conducting scene recovery. The majority of cases (60.4%) were further fragmented or fractured by time of autopsy, illustrating the necessity for improvement of current methodologies and the importance of the involvement of forensic anthropologists in recovery of fragmentary remains. DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2016 T1 - The importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic context TI - The importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic context UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20514 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/20514
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSchwab P. The importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic context. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 2016 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20514en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDivision of Forensic Medicine and Toxicologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBiomedical Forensic Scienceen_ZA
dc.titleThe importance of a protocol in the recovery and handling of burned human remains in a forensic contexten_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMPhilen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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