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Citation
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Guimarães MA, Francisco RA, Evison M, Iwamura ESM, Machado CEP, Alves da Silva RH, Pinheiro MEC, Santana D, Patrício JAG. Hum. Remain. Viol. 2017; 3(1): 37-51. |
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Abstract
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Exhumation may be defined as the legally sanctioned excavation and recovery of the remains of lawfully buried or - occasionally - cremated individuals, as distinct from forensic excavations of clandestinely buried remains conducted as part of a criminal investigation and
from unlawful disinterment of human remains, commonly referred to as 'bodysnatching'. The aim of this article is to review the role of exhumation - so defined - in the activities of CEMEL, the Medico-Legal Centre of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School-University of São
Paulo, in international, regional and local collaborations. Exhumations form part of routine forensic anthropology casework; scientific research in physical and forensic anthropology; and forensic casework conducted in collaboration with the Brazilian Federal Police; and are carried out as
part of humanitarian investigations into deaths associated with the civil-military dictatorship of 1964 to 1985. This article aims to offer a non-technical summary - with reference to international comparative information - of the role of exhumation in investigative and scientific
work and to discuss developments in their historical and political context.
Language: en |