°°Name and aims°°

The Forensic Anthropology Society of Europe aims to bring together anthropologists, forensic pathologists, odontologists, geneticists and other experts in the fields of forensic medicine and forensic science in the scientific and academic promotion and development of the discipline of forensic anthropology across Europe.

Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology to the legal process in order to identify human remains and assist in the detection of crime. Due to the increasing number of single forensic cases (along with mass disasters and war-related crimes) requiring expertise in the retrieval, recovery, identification and medico-legal study of badly decomposed, burnt and skeletonised human remains, forensic anthropology is a discipline frequently requested by magistrates and courts. Examples of cases in which expertise in forensic anthropology are required are: scenes of crime involving badly charred bodies, skeletonised remains, buried remains; the diagnosis of species of origin of skeletal remains; the diagnosis of post-mortem interval of skeletonised and/or buried remains; building a biological profile of unidentified remains (sexing, aging, diagnosis of race, stature, build, dental status, facial reconstruction); personal identification by comparison of bone and dental morphology, facial features); identification of living individuals; age determination of living individuals; the study and interpretation of trauma on skeletal remains, recovery and identification of victims of mass disasters, war crimes, torture).

The aims of FASE are therefore to:

> encourage the study of, improve the practice of, establish and enhance standards for and advance the science of forensic anthropology and
related disciplines; promote knowledge and research in the field

> harmonise techniques and diagnostic procedures in forensic anthropology across Europe

> encourage and promote adherence to high standards of ethics, conduct and professional practice in forensic anthropology

> promote training and certification in forensic anthropology and eventually create Boards of certificats and inform the existence of trained forensic anthropologists in order to guarantee high quality performance in the medicolegal study of human remains;

> formation of working groups in different areas of forensic anthropology and accreditation of protocols and laboratories.