D. Recovery of Human Remains 1. General principles 90. The recovery and handling of human remains – the most important evidence at a crime scene – require special attention and care, including respect for the dignity of the deceased and compliance with forensic best practices. Human remains are often recovered by police or other personnel without education or training in human biology, and thus there may be challenges in identifying body parts and/or skeletal elements. The recovery of human remains should, preferably, be under the supervision and advice of a suitably trained forensic anthropologist (if skeletonized) and/or a forensic doctor (if fleshed). Knowledge of forensic archaeology is also valuable in understanding the taphonomic processes at the scene. Expertise in forensic anthropology and/or archaeology may assist in the recovery of burnt, fragmented or buried remains. Handling encompasses labelling, packaging, security (including chain-of-custody documentation), transport and storage. 91. When two or more parts of a body are found, it should not automatically be assumed that the separate body parts belong to the same body. This determination should be made only by a forensic doctor or forensic anthropologist. 92. Photographs of human remains should be taken, whether of a complete body, scattered skeletal remains or buried bodies. All photographs should include a reference number, a scale, and a direction indicator. The position of the remains should also be recorded through notations and measurements in the scene sketch. Sketches and diagrams should document the disposition of the remains and associated evidence at the scene. Such sketches and diagrams could be supplemented by details from a GPS and/or a compass, a baseline, or any photogrammetric programme. If available, measurements and recordings can also be made electronically using a total station theodolite, which would allow later integration into a digital mapping/drawing system. 2. Labelling 94. Labelling means assigning a unique reference number to each body or body part (as well as to each other piece of physical evidence). The labelling of human remains should be reflected in the crime scene notes, the photographs and any sketches/diagrams/skeletal inventory forms recorded at the scene. The same labelling needs to be recorded on the packaging used to transport and store the remains and any associated evidence. 95. The rationale for a labelling system should be documented in the crime scene notes. The labelling of human remains – whether individual bones, clusters of bones, body parts or complete bodies – should be unique and must be applied consistently throughout the documentation and packaging process. The labelling system should be agreed on prior to collection and packaging. 96. The labelling of recovered remains should use unique designator codes, which can be based on the following criteria: (a) Location – the geographical location from where the remains are recovered (b) Site – to distinguish between different sites (e.g. graves) in a particular location (c) Individual – human remains identified as belonging to one unique individual; often this can be a single body part or skeletal element.98 The date on which the remains are discovered should be reflected in the code. The numbering system may be used for all evidence recovered from the same site. 97. If it appears that there are multiple deceased, the exercise of recovering the human remains may follow that of a Disaster Victim Identification procedure. In this case, the Interpol DVI Manual should be consulted.99 93. The remains should be examined and any clothing, personal items and associated evidence photographed, with any observations recorded in the scene notes. Additionally, any visible trauma should be recorded in an anatomical diagram and, in the case of skeletal remains, also in a skeletal inventory form. 98 E.g. PL-I-1 (PL=Place name; I=Roman numeral for the site/grave at the place; 1=body number 1). 99 At: http://www.interpol.int/INTERPOL-expertise/Forensics/DVI-Pages/DVI-guide. 19