Department of Forensic Medicine > About the department > Forensic Pathology

Section of Forensic Pathology

State Forensic Pathologist, Professor Hans Petter Hougen, MD, PhD, DMSc, MPA, is head of the Section of Forensic Pathology.

The Section also includes the Unit of Forensic Anthropology, lead by Professor Niels Lynnerup.  The Unit curates a unique collection of ancient skeletons.

What we do

The Section of Forensic Pathology carries out forensic examinations of living and deceased persons. Examinations are carried out by doctors trained in forensic medicine and with due respect to the sensitive nature of the task. The page Information for next-of-kin provides more detailed information about forensic examinations.

Commissioned work

By law, the Section of Forensic Pathology is responsible for forensic examinations in eastern Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Investigations are undertaken by the State Forensic Pathologist at the request of the Danish police and judiciary and thus provides an important public service by gathering evidence and clarifying causes in deaths, assaults and accidents.

Tasks

• Inquests
• Forensic autopsies, including CAT- and MRI-scans
• Examination of persons
• suspected of assault, homicide and other offences
• victims of violence, sexual assault and incest
• for age determination
• for possession of narcotics
• Crime scene investigations at death under suspicious circumstances
• Identification of bodies and body parts
• Forensic anthropological and odontological examinations
• Histological investigations of human tissue
• Morgue duties

Cases investigated includes homicides, assault, rape, suicides, sudden natural deaths, fatal traffic accidents and other domestic or work-related accidents.

Human rights

The Section of Forensic Pathology uses its experience in forensic medicine to assist in human rights cases. This is done in close collaboration with both the UN and international human rights organisations in order to detect and prevent torture and human rights abuse.

On several occasions experts from the Section of Forensic Pathology have participated in delegations to various countries in order to examine torture claims.

Experts from the Section of Forensic Pathology also use their expertise to provide training,  for instance on how to determine whether a person has been subjected to torture.

Teaching

Forensic Medicine is taught as part of the Medicine degree. Please consult the Danish general pages on teaching in the Department of Forensic Medicine for more details and who to contact.