People |
Home
| Archives | About | Media Links |
| March 2000 Forensic pathology Prosecutor’s ally By Eva Yim Article from the same
section: The job of a forensic pathologist is not restricted to dissection. More importantly, it involves the pursuit of the truth in acute situations. One of 18 forensic pathologists in Hong Kong, Dr. Philip Beh has been working in the field for 18 years. In general, the work of a forensic pathologist uses medical knowledge to help police and courts resolve legal matters. A forensic pathologist has to identify corpses and the causes and times of death. A forensic pathologist has to make detailed observations and accurate estimations. “Sometimes when we discover a cut, we have to tell roughly how broad the blade of the knife causing the cut was,” Dr. Beh said. “We even have to know about tides. So when we discover corpses floating in the sea, we can guess when and where they floated from,” he said. Not only the nature of job, but also the workload makes this job exceptionally tough in Hong Kong. Said Dr. Beh: “Our working hours are basically from 9 to 5. However, we have to take turns to be round the clock on call every five or six working days. Whenever there is an accident, we have to rush to the scene to help without delay.” The job is more than forensic pathology, which mainly involves dissecting corpses. “Besides dissecting dead men, we have to deal with living patients. We have to use our knowledge in forensic medicine to help investigate cases of child abuse and rape,” he said. Tough professions call for harsh training. The path that every forensic pathologist in Hong Kong has gone through is not easy. The first pre-requisite is a degree in medicine. Then one has to acquire training in the Coroner Department for 6 years, where he learns how to dissect, check body wounds and write reports. Concepts of law are also taught. Senior pathologists are available to guide the trainees on jobs in the first 3 years. After that, trainees have to work on their own on more complicated assignments, such as murder cases. Tough training may not be all as the professionals’ findings are usually the key factors in judging whether a criminal suspect is guilty or innocent. “Curiosity is essential. Also, the ability to keep calm and continue to work when facing nasty crime scenes and corpses is indispensable. “As a forensic pathologist, you have to get along with many kinds of people — for example, police, journalists and family members of the deceased. Communication skills and team work are necessary,” he said. Owing to the development of technology, the job is now greatly assisted by computers in fingerprint and DNA analysis. “Advanced technology and computers do help. But when it comes to dissection, the technique is still the same,” Dr. Beh said. While new technology is coming into the field, the career is actually on the decline in foreign countries. In developing countries, the career is fading as they can hardly afford the expensive computers and equipment. This trend also prevails in developed countries. In the U.S., the right to conserve intact corpses is highly respected. Therefore, dissection can only be applied in murder cases. Dr. Beh has dealt with at least 3,000 cases since he became a forensic pathologist. The continuous and repetitive work did not make him apathetic, but more humane. “I could not believe my eyes when I saw that people can be so cruel as to abuse a baby. “I don’t have any religious belief. However, the job makes me believe in fate and let go. I have become less aggressive,” he said. Dr. Beh said that when he works hard to dig out the truth of a case, he gets some satisfaction. “I will devote the rest of my life to the career as it’s a meaningful job” said Dr. Beh. |
|
|
Home | Archives | About | Media Links |
