It’s hard to believe that this week marks the 10th edition of #ForensicFridays! Thank you to all of our subscribers (the numbers are growing by the week), for following our DNA news in Africa. Please continue to share #FF and let us know if there is something you would like to feature in one of our editions. As promised, this week we drop our provisional programme outline for our much anticipated 3rd Forensic DNA Symposium. This event will be held in Cape Town from 12 - 14 June 2023, in collaboration with our event partners, the ICRC and the UNODC who have made it possible for you to attend at no cost. Follow the link below to secure your chance to attend in-person or virtually; in-person seats are limited, so don't delay and register today! We are also excited to announce that this year we have included space for YOU to present your work in our event programme, so be sure to read the guidelines below and get ready to submit your abstracts for review. Today also marks the anniversary of my father’s brutal murder, when he was gunned down in our family home in Johannesburg, 19 years ago. This day always make me pause to reflect on how that tragic event changed my life irrevocably and set in motion a series of unintended consequences which have ultimately led me to do what I do today. While my father’s murderers have never been found, I firmly believe that had DNA been collected at the crime scene where my father was attacked, and DNA laws been in place at the time, his killers would have been identified. In his case, so much DNA was left on the scene, but not collected, the crime scene was trampled over by countless people before the forensic investigators arrived, making it difficult to determine what had happened, and there was no mandatory DNA sampling or DNA database in place at the time. While my father was denied the justice he deserved, I live to believe that his death was not in vain: much of the work I have done since that day has been towards advocating for a more functional and effective criminal justice system in South Africa - and now Africa - specifically around the preservation and use of forensic DNA profiling in conjunction with a DNA database which is invaluable in both justice and humanitarian efforts. My journey over the last 19 years has also taught me that all of law, science and society are dynamic, ever-changing and inter-related elements and that to remain relevant and responsible change-makers, we need to be prepared to constantly review what justice and humanity means in all of its policies, practices and purposes to ensure that every person, living or dead, deserves the right to dignity and justice. It is also a time to reflect on the army of “DNA-crusaders” who have taken form over the years and whom I continue to meet as I journey through Africa. This edition is a tribute to all of those DNA crusaders, activists and survivors, some of whom are no longer with us today, whose courage and commitment to effect positive change in Africa, most often through extreme adversity, is humbly appreciated and acknowledged. We salute you. Yours in forensics, Vanessa |
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3RD FORENSIC DNA SYMPOSIUM 2023 - WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR! The third in our series of DNA events, this exciting symposium will provide both an in-person and on-line opportunity for forensic experts, DNA practitioners, forensic laboratory personnel, officers of the court (such as judges, magistrates, prosecutors and attorneys), law enforcement personnel, social workers, health personnel, humanitarian workers, as well as change advocates, to interact and present interesting cases and innovative solutions to the unique legal, scientific, technological and infrastructural challenges encountered in many African countries. This year we have divided the programme into 8 thematic areas relating to the use of DNA in both justice and humanitarian sectors. We are also offering a high level scientific workshop led by Prof. Budowle as well as a GBV+F workshop on Monday 12 June 2023 (registration links to the workshops will be coming soon). CHECK OUT BELOW THE 8 THEMATIC AREAS THAT WILL BE COVERED: EVENT DAY 1 DNA POLICY GBV+F INITIATIVES UHR, MISSING PERSONS COMPLEX DNA CASES
EVENT DAY 2 PANEL DISCUSSIONS WILL INCLUDE: GBV+F INITIATIVES ANALYSIS OF HIGHLY DEGRADED DNA SAMPLES DNA DATABASES / DNA POLICIES THE USE OF DNA IN COMBATANTS / CONFLICT EXPERT SCIENTIFIC TESTIMONY
INTERESTED? REGISTER HERE TODAY! |
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A CHANCE TO PRESENT YOUR WORK #3FDNAS |
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Next week, we will be calling for abstracts from forensic experts, scientists and students from Africa, for submission to present at our 3rd Forensic DNA Symposium, as well as posters to be featured at our event. Start thinking about your submissions now! Topics covered DNA POLICY - DNA IN GBV+F INITIATIVES - UHR, MISSING PERSONS - COMPLEX DNA CASES - DNA DATABASES - DNA USED IN CONFLICT, COMBATANTS - DNA MIXTURES - GENERAL DNA Evaluation criteria Offers new data / demonstrates innovation / has the potential to challenge current practice / foster professional debate Scientific / legal merit Contribution to the forensic discipline Relevance to one of the 8 thematic areas of the event Clearly states the aims, objectives and outcomes Describes methodology / findings / results Draws valid conclusions
Tips for submission Comply with the submission and formatting guidelines Be Concise (400 word limit) Be Clear: Plan your abstract carefully before writing it.
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A VERY COLD CASE200 YEARS LATER - DNA From Beethoven's Hair Reveals a Surprise |
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When we talk about cold cases, we don't often think in centuries! But this one is almost 200 years old and with advances in DNA technology, genetic clues have been revealed from locks of Beethoven’s hair that had been snipped off and preserved as keepsakes. Researchers focused on five locks they claim are “almost certainly authentic,” coming from the same European male. After cleaning what they believe to be Beethoven’s hair, one strand at a time, scientists searched for clues about the alleged health problems that plagued the composer. While researchers didn’t find any clear genetic signs of what caused Beethoven’s health issues, it did lead to a surprising discovery: when they tested DNA from living members of the extended Beethoven family, scientists found a discrepancy in the Y chromosomes that get passed down on the paternal side. The Y chromosomes from the five men matched each other — but they didn’t match the composer’s. This suggests there was an “extra-pair paternity event” somewhere in the generations before Beethoven was born. A stark reminder that for ethical and practical reasons, forensic experts should place a greater emphasis on the value of carefully planned disclosure! "There is nothing new about the problem of misattributed paternity; it is biblically old. The unmasking of it via genetic testing produces a clinical dilemma that pits the value of truthfulness and our duty to inform against our profound disinclination to disrupt relationships within a family." Excerpt from "An old problem in a new age: Revisiting the clinical dilemma of misattributed paternity" |
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SWABBING TECHNIQUES FOR FORENSIC DNA RECOVERY - help to inform standardisation of DNA collection protocols across casework |
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Shout out to Forensic DNA Expert, Tiffany Roy for recently highlighting this interesting article, which shows that the wet-moist double swabbing technique with a swabbing duration of 30-seconds maximised DNA recovery from cotton. And further that from tile, a single wet or moist-dry swab maximised DNA recovery, but increasing swabbing duration from 15 to 30 seconds had no impact. Why is this important? Because this type of research and data can help to inform standardisation of DNA collection protocols across casework laboratories. READ MORE HERE |
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PS. Watch this space for news on an upcoming webinar we are hosting with Tiffany Roy and Prof. Bruce Budowle on Expert Testimony coming to you next month! |
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Thanks to our event partners, ICRC for this important advice on why we should better manage the bodies of the deceased after a mass disaster. Not only do mass graves often lead to an undignified disposal of the dead and can result in significant additional trauma for families and communities, there is usually a need to compare large numbers of biological samples and DNA profiles following a mass disaster, for victim identification which is made more difficult with mass burials. Because each mass disaster has its own unique challenges, so too will the final DNA identification of victims be affected, which is influenced by factors such as: the number of victims, the mechanisms of body destruction, the extent of body fragmentation, the rate of DNA degradation, the body accessibility for sample collection, and/or the type of DNA reference samples available for comparison. WATCH THE SHORT VIDEO HERE ON WHY MASS BURIALS ARE NOT RECOMMENDED IN MASS DISASTERS |
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#DNACRUSADER OF THE WEEK: IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER John Lynch: 19 May 1938 - 24 March 2004Pictured below walking on Diani Beach, Kenya, where he was finally placed to rest. |
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“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.” Nelson Mandela |
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Together we are DNAforAfrica, and together, we are UNSTOPPABLE! |
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Follow our Journey @DNAforAFRICA | |
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