Explore working as forensic social worker, professor tells forensic scientists

Forensic scientists urged to explore roles beyond traditional ones, such as forensic social worker, to help victims of sexual crime, domestic violence, and suicide. Suicide prevention is a major agenda, and signs of suicide should be picked up early. Forensic experts should also be involved in organ donation and work with physicians to address cardiac malfunction in sudden deaths. Inaugural day of KAMLSCON 2023 saw Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal stressing on advances in forensic tools, such as DNA profiling, to help law enforcement.

Expressing the need for forensic scientists to move beyond the traditional roles, Y.P. Girish Chandra, professor and head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, on Friday, said forensic scientists could explore working as forensic social worker.

Speaking on ‘Beyond the conventional roles - a step forward’ on the inaugural day of ‘KAMLSCON 2023”, the two-day annual conference of the Karnataka Medicolegal Society, Dr. Chandra said forensic social workers would be helpful in the casualty department of hospitals in counselling of victims of sexual crime and domestic violence. At the mortuary, they can provide answers to questions from bereaved family members. They will also help family members in addressing legal issues, cremation etc. Thus, they can act as a bridge between hospital and community,” Dr. Chandra said.

Dr. Chandra said suicide prevention was the major agenda that needs to be addressed. The focus should not be just on the methods employed to end the life and statistics. “What is needed is to take seriously these persons, who are basically attention seekers”. Signs of suicide should be picked up early and persons with suicidal tendencies should be dealt with compassionately. For a better understanding of suicide, the suicide note should be analysed by a psychiatrist/psychologist, he said.

While asking forensic scientists to become a crusader for heart valves and other implants, Dr. Chandra said forensic experts should actively be involved in promotion of organ donation.

In another talk on ‘What ails youth? A case-based forensic pathology’, Pradeep Vaideeswar, professor, Department of Pathology (Cardiovascular and Thoracic), Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai, said it was distressing to hear about the sudden death of those aged 40 and below within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms.

Dr. Vaideeswar said in 75% of sudden deaths, the cause was cardiac malfunction. Forensic experts should work as a team with physicians to rightly address this cause.

Inaugurating the conference, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said law enforcement agencies were the greatest beneficiaries of the advances in forensic tools such as DNA profiling, which have helped them in getting convictions in criminal cases. The future of forensic science looks promising as it is evolving with the use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technological tools.