Genocide, Forensic Anthropology, and Legal Testimony

On May 10, 2013, a panel of three judges convicted Efraín Ríos Montt, Guatemala’s former de facto leader, of genocide. It was the first time that a domestic court had convicted a former head of state for that crime. Since then, a cabal of business, military, and government officials have pushed back hard, seeking to reestablish the status quo of impunity for the rich and powerful.

A crucial player in the campaign for truth and accountability is the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation . The foundation has exhumed some 1,650 grave sites, discovered the remains of more than 7,000 victims, and provided crucial testimony in trials in Guatemala and Spain. At a recent lecture, the foundation’s director Fredy Peccerelli discussed the ways in which forensic anthropology can be used to uncover the truth and summarized some of the legal achievements in Guatemala.

Listen above.