12 August 2011
Dundee forensic expertise to help fight child abduction in Turkey
The University of Dundee’s world-leading expertise in forensic identification is set to play a major role in helping Turkish Police investigate the whereabouts of around 1700 children who are missing in their country.
Ozgur Bulut, a member of the Turkish Forensic Police Laboratory (KPL), spent a year in Dundee undertaking the MSc Forensic Arts programme in order to gain the skills in order to bring a new approach to countering the problem of child abduction in Turkey.
At Dundee, he worked under the tutelage of Professor Caroline Wilkinson at the University's Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification. A globally renowned authority in facial anthropology and forensic facial reconstruction, Professor Wilkinson has led research into improving facial identification methods and acted as an expert witness in several court cases.
The techniques she employs have been highlighted in the hit BBC Two show 'History Cold Case', in which she has reconstructed the faces of individuals from archaeological investigations.
Working closely with Professor Wilkinson, Ozgur completed a thesis on forensic age progression and regression, as well as studying ground-breaking methods of computerised facial reconstruction which can help identify a person from their remains.
Age progression is the process of modifying a photograph of a person to represent the effect of aging on their appearance. It is commonly used by law enforcement agencies in many countries as a forensics tool and can be used to show the likely current appearance of a missing person from a photograph taken many years old.
Turkey has a particular problem with child abductions, and hundreds are currently missing in the country. Given the scale of the problem, the Turkish Police saw the potential of the Forensic Art programme at Dundee and identified Ozgur as the perfect candidate to take part.
Since returning home last year, he has established the Forensic Art & Anthropological Examination Unit in Ankara, the country’s first unit dedicated to specialist age progression and facial reconstruction techniques learned in Dundee.
'My employers sent me to Dundee to take the course because the course has such an excellent reputation and is very relevant to what we are trying to do,' he said. 'There are hundreds of children who are missing having been abducted and so helping to identify them is something that is very important for Turkey.
'There was an urgent need for this type of forensic expertise within the Turkish Police, and my lab will help to address specific problems that we unfortunately have to deal with in Turkey. We have obtained the top software and hardware around, and Professor Wilkinson taught me how to use this for 3D forensic facial reconstruction and age progression. We are now going to use this in forensic cases in Turkey
'If skeletal remains are sent to us, then we can reconstruct the skull, which will obviously help with identification. In terms of age progression, we will be able to look at photographs of children who have been abducted and, using sophisticated techniques, predict how they will look as they get older meaning that police will have a greater chance of finding them, even some time after they went missing.
'Before us, there was no unit in Turkey doing this kind of work, and the education I received in Dundee will of great benefit to police in our country. We have contacted all law enforcement agencies and prosecutors and expect to deal with a lot of cases in the future.'
Ozgur received his first degree, a BSc in Security Services from the Turkish Police Academy in 2000 before obtaining an MA from Gazi University’s Social Sciences Institute.
He worked as a forensic advisor for the United Nations Mission in Liberia in 2009 before completing his MSc Forensic Art degree at Dundee, MSc. He has also obtained a PhD from the University of Ankara.
When he returned to Turkey after his time in Dundee, Ozgur set about recruiting a team to work in his lab. He selected three highly skilled forensic professionals from the dozens currently working in the country based on their suitability for the facial reconstruction and age progression work they will be carrying out.
Ozgur is now passing on the skills he learned in Dundee to them, and he feels that the expertise of the Dundee centre can be of great benefit to other law enforcement agents in Turkey and beyond.
'When we are visited by delegates from other forces and agencies I give them a presentation on forensic science and I always make them aware of the expertise in Dundee,' he continued. 'I make sure they know that Dundee is leading the way with new methods of identification and how it will transform the way we tackle these cases in Turkey in future.
'I am indebted to the University of Dundee, and in particular to Professor Wilkinson who is a very talented forensic scientist and teacher. It would not have been possible to establish this unit and offer these forensic services if it was not for the programme at Dundee. What I was taught in Dundee will have a great impact on people in Turkey and particularly for families of missing children.'
Ozgur is just one of the international students who have travelled great distances to study Dundee’s unique and innovative forensic courses.
'It is a fantastic recognition of the work we carry out here that forensic institutes from all over the world are sending staff to study in Dundee,' said Professor Wilkinson. 'We have had graduates return to work in Turkey, New Foundland, Brazil and South Africa after their time with us.
'It is very exciting to know that CAHID is teaching forensic expertise that will have such an immediate effect on law enforcement activity and employment. Ozgur’s achievements are a great example of international cooperation and I am very proud of him, as well as Dundee’s involvement in this progress.'
The Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee is an internationally leading centre in the fields of human identification, forensic anthropology, cranio-facial reconstruction and the study of the human body.
Professor Sue Black, Director of the Centre, is currently spearheading a major fundraising campaign - 'Million For A Morgue' - to build a new morgue at the University to allow researchers to adopt the Thiel method of embalming. This gives surgeons, dentists, students and medical researchers a more realistic method of testing techniques, practising procedures and developing new equipment and approaches. For more information see www.millionforamorgue.com.
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