Forensic anthropology at Medico Legal Centre of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto/USP - comparative study of cases from 1999-2009

Forensic Anthropology is an area of knowledge that applies the methods of physical anthropology andarcheology within a legal context. The Medico Legal Centre (CEMEL) of the Faculty of Medicine of RibeirãoPreto of University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP) has a Forensic Anthropology Laboratory (LAF), created in2005 in a partnership project with the University of Sheffield (UK) and financed by the British Foreign andCommonwealth Office Global Opportunities Fund. As part of this project, a protocol for skeletal analysiswas established, supported by an upgraded scientific infrastructure, for application in a socially important context in Brazil. Accumulated cases from 1999 to 2006 were analyzed initially, followed by casesfrom 2007 to 2009. These analyses indicated that many skeletons forwarded to CEMEL were incomplete,making the completion of a biological profile difficult. Despite of this, a statistically significant increasewas detected in the mean number of bones forwarded in the 2007-2009 group (112.83) in comparison tothe 1999-2006 group (79.57). Also, a statistically significant decline in the mean age from 38.34 years inthe 1999-2006 group to 35.65 years in the 2007-2009 group was detected, probably associated withviolent crime. Analysis indicated that in the 1999-2006 group, handedness could not be assigned in themajority of the cases (57.14%), while in the 2007-2009 group assignment was possible in the majority ofthe cases (85.72%), with 57.15% being right-handed and 28.57% left. The improvement in assignmentis explained by the increase in the mean number of bones forwarded per skeleton. For all other examinedanthropological parameters, no statistical difference was detected.  Male,  Caucasian and right- handedskeletons were predominant in both groups. The chance of identifying an individual through anthropological examination increased from 73.81% in 1999-2006 group to 90.47% in 2007-2009. These resultsindicate that improvement in the quality bone recovery from the scene and subsequent anthropologicalanalysis increases the likelihood of individual identification, fulfilling the scientific and social goals offorensic anthropological examination.A Antropologia Forense é uma área de conhecimento que aplica os métodos da antropologia física e daarqueologia em um contexto legal. O Centro de Medicina Legal (CEMEL) da Faculdade de Medicina deRibeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP) possui um Laboratório de AntropologiaForense (LAF), criado em 2005, em um projeto de parceria com a University of Sheffield (UK) e financiado pelo British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Global Opportunities Fund. Como parte desseprojeto, foi elaborado um protocolo para análise de ossadas com uma estrutura científica atualizadaaplicável ao contexto social brasileiro. Inicialmente foram analisados os casos acumulados de 1999 a2006, seguidos dos casos de 2007 a 2009. Este estudo revelou que a maioria das ossadas encaminhadas ao CEMEL estavam incompletas, o que dificulta a obtenção de um perfil bioantropológico.Apesar disso, um aumento estatisticamente significativo foi detectado no número médio de ossosencaminhados no grupo de 2007-2009 (112,83) em comparação com o grupo de 1999-2006 (79,57).Além disso, foi detectado um declínio estatisticamente significativo na média de idade de 38,34 anos nogrupo de 1999-2006 para 35,65 anos no grupo de 2007-2009, provavelmente associado a crimesviolentos. A análise indicou que na maioria dos casos (57,14%), no grupo de 1999-2006, a lateralidadenão poderia ser atribuída, enquanto que no grupo de 2007-2009 foi possível atribuir a lateralidade namaioria dos casos (85,72%), sendo que 57,15% eram destros e 28,57% canhotos. A melhora na atribui-ção pode ser explicada pelo aumento do número médio de ossos enviados por esqueleto. Para todosos outros parâmetros antropológicos analisados, não foram detectadas diferenças estatisticamentesignificativas. Esqueletos do sexo masculino, caucasianos e destros foram predominantes em ambosos grupos. A chance de identificar um indivíduo através do exame antropológico aumentou de 73,81%em 1999-2006 para 90,47% em 2007-2009. Estes resultados indicam uma melhoria na qualidade dacoleta dos ossos no local de seu encontro, e subseqüente, um aumento da probabilidade de identifica-ção do individuo através da análise antropológica, cumprindo o papel científico e social do exameantropológico forense

Local Government's effective community responses

Speech given at the conference 'Reducing criminality: partnerships and best practice', Perth, 31 July to 1 August 2000, by Adam Graycar, Director, Australian Institute of Criminology. This speech is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/The challenge before us is to find the right set of interventions to prevent criminal behaviour among young people, and prevent that behaviour becoming a lifelong activity. The two main strategies are on the one hand to reduce the supply of motivated offenders, and on the other to make crime more difficult to commit. Crime is the result of complex changes in economic, social and cultural factors such as unemployment, dysfunctional families, child abuse, poor education, community breakdown, economic inequality and substance abuse. If crime prevention is to succeed it should focus on broad social outcomes, for example reducing social exclusion. Compelling evidence suggests that those who feel excluded from participation in community life are more likely to offend against that community. Addressing this sense of exclusion can reduce the risk of offending. In simple terms the criminal justice domain plays only a small part in crime prevention and preventing the supply of motivated offenders