Forensic sciences and forensic anthropology in the Colombian post-conflict

Abstract

The objective here is to show a thoughtful picture of the challenges to be confronted by the Colombian forensic sciences in general and forensic anthropology in particular, in the face of an imminent post-conflict situation. The work methodology, through an analysis from updated literature to official data and figures, encompassed four social phenomena closely related to the ‘everydayness’ of forensic sciences: 1): the enforced disappearance of people, 2): bodies found in unidentifiable conditions, 3): demographic standards used in the forensic identification process, and 4): the state of the art of scientific research and the national forensic academy, these being issues serving to initiate a diagnostic capable of assessing the po-tential difficulties in the forensic context and allowing for designing strategies within the good practices framework in order to optimize the society’s expected opportunity and quality conditions. It is finally concluded that state forensic entities must revalidate the actual number of on-site professionals because, in the event of a threatening post-conflict situation occurring, the installed capacity is exposed to collapse and becomes likely to affect the op-portunity criteria aimed at serving the number of bodies that would be generated; likewise, it has been considered that subjects taken at the academy like forensic scientific research, investigation and the training followed ever since should be increased.