News and press interest – 10th January 2004

A grant from Comic Relief has hit a Bournemouth-based 'cause' firmly on the nose with money to fund the efforts of forensic scientists in supporting the people of post-conflict Rwanda.

The £45,000 will fund a pilot study by INFORCE - the specialist international forensic centre of excellence for the investigation of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity - to closely examine forensic science needs in Rwanda.

"People often ask where the money goes that is raised on Red Nose Day," says Prof Margaret Cox of Bournemouth University, Chief Executive and Founder of INFORCE ( mcox@inforce.org.uk ). "Principally, Comic Relief funds for Africa go to support humanitarian aid; in this case, the money will help us to help the people of Rwanda in their continuing struggle to come to terms with the genocide of the 1994 and to empower them in a way that may help prevent such slaughter from occurring again."

Over one million Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed during 100 days of slaughter in 1994 in the central African country. As Rwanda continues to come to terms with its past, INFORCE is playing a role in the growing international movement to prevent future genocides. The feasibility study is designed to assess if there is a need for training in the forensic sciences in Rwanda. This is obviously a practical issue but also a cultural one – not only can such training be delivered, but do the government and local people consider it to be appropriate and necessary. It is hoped that empowering people through an extensive and sustainable training programme to develop their own expertise will generate an infrastructure capable of supporting future investigations and any legal proceedings, but will also deter future perpetrators of such crime.

"Unfortunately, the universities and other organisations in Rwanda who could provide the backing for scientific investigation are poorly resourced in terms of equipment and relevant expertise," says Prof Cox. "If the feasibility study indicates that such training is desirable, we will then seek funding to provide training 'on the ground' for future Rwandan forensic scientists. We will deliver this with local partners who can provide essential support."

INFORCE is the world’s first impartial and independent international forensic centre of excellence for the investigation of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity (see www.inforce.org.uk ). The Centre aims to provide a cohesive multi-disciplinary approach to the investigation of such crimes, and to establish and employ especially developed protocols to ensure the highest standards of all aspects of an investigation. INFORCE will contribute to the process of justice, on all levels, and provide humanitarian assistance by enabling victims to be identified and returned to their families and communities to facilitate legal as well as emotional closure. Aside from this it will provide education for professionals in the field and as means of empowering survivor communities.