Letter from the President

Welcome to this year’s single edition of the Newsletter which aims to keep members informed of the Association’s activities and the current issues facing forensic odontology.

It is with great sadness that I have to record the death of two of BAFO’s founding members. Firstly, Freddie Martin who died on 8th November 2019 and Derek Clark who died on 8th July 2020. Freddie and Derek were Past Presidents of BAFO and long serving Committee members; their obituaries appear on the website and in this Newsletter.

Last year’s annual conference was held in Sheffield and was well attended; delegates’ feedback was very positive which reflected the varied and informative programme of presentations. The conference continues to be enhanced by the contributions of Scheila Manica’s and Helen Liversidge’s students on the Friday afternoon session. I wish to thank all members and speakers who contributed to such a successful professional meeting. Everyone who attended the conference benefited from the conscientiousness of Geoff Craig and Roland Kouble who organised the event.

I am pleased to report that Max Malekniazi and Sally Andrews have joined the Committee. Max and Sally join Toni Lemm, Scheila Manica, Louise McPeake, Vijay Reesu and Alison Lowe who form an increasing group of younger committee members who bring fresh views and suggestions to our collective discussions. The hope is that BAFO will progressively benefit from a range of members’ contributions in the years to come.

In keeping with positive thoughts for the future, I am delighted to inform you that the degree of Doctor of Philosophy was conferred by the University of Dundee on Vijay Reesu for his thesis entitled “Investigation of Photographic and Digital Methods for Odontological Comparison to aid with Human Identification”. In recognition of the significance of Scheila Manica’s department, this year’s annual conference was due to be held in Dundee on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st November 2020. Regrettably, due to Covid-19, the Committee has decided to postpone this year’s conference until November 2021; the exact date is yet to be confirmed. The aim of the conference in Dundee will be to provide delegates with a range of presentations delivered by some senior, national and international members of the forensic community.

In order to avoid a blank year and in keeping with other professional organisations, we intend to arrange a webinar on Friday 20th November 2020, prior to the virtual Annual General Meeting of the Association. Complete details of the webinar and AGM will be distributed to members in due course.

Unfortunately, the proposed spring conference in Guernsey on Saturday 23rd May 2020 was cancelled due to insufficient support. I wish to thank Paul Frank for his time and effort in attempting to add to BAFO’s event calendar.

Alison Lowe, as the DCP Representative, communicates with DCPs who express interest in becoming involved in identification casework. The nature of these exchanges provides information and encouragement to prospective new DCP members. Alison is currently conducting a survey of DCP members’ opinions on aspects of their career development in forensic odontology. The Association’s administration of the mentoring programme for the recognition of odontologists engaged in identification cases continues to be delivered by Nathan Brown. As a matter of importance, BAFO routinely monitors the challenges facing bite mark analysis in criminal cases and represents our expertise with the NCA through established contacts. Phil Marsden and Max Malekniazi are developing the website and related electronic platforms with a range of improvements that will become evident to members in the near future. Specifically, Max is responsible for the creation of the digital version of the Newsletter. Odontologists with a relevant post-graduate qualification and who have made a contribution to forensic odontology by either practice, research or training can apply to join the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All the relevant information is available on the Faculty’s website www.fflm.ac.uk

I welcome the increasing membership numbers and the active involvement of as many members as possible. BAFO is aware of the challenges facing forensic odontology and aims to safeguard the Association for the future.

Since this is my final letter as President, I wish to thank all Committee members who have served in the past four years for their time, opinions and contributions that have enabled BAFO to function effectively. I hope that the current younger members will assume increasing responsibility for the continuing development of our Association. I have every confidence in Roland Kouble, as President, of acting in the best interests of BAFO from November 2020. It has been a privilege to serve as President and I wish all members good fortune at this time of the unprecedented challenges facing humanity.

Douglas R Sheasby President British Association for Forensic Odontology

Editorial Comment

This edition of the newsletter comes to you at a time where many of you will have been either self-isolating, due to come out of isolation or still working in practice or urgent care centers. For many of us life has changed rather dramatically in the last few weeks and the future may be uncertain with financial and job security at risk for many with an uncertain future ahead. The law courts initially still went about their business but this has also changed with some evidence being given virtually online and many case postponed.

Whilst certain forensic opinions are still being sought such as child protection cases and the occasional identification case we do need to be aware of the risks and follow the advice on our website, the advice from the Chief Coroner and other professional groups such as the Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology (http://www.aaptuk.org/) and Royal College of Pathologists. Members conducting identification cases should satisfy themselves that the personal cross- infection protection measures at the mortuary are adequate and they follow their local mortuary guidelines on cross-infection. I personally decided not to undertake impressions for bite mark cases during the period of time when we were advised not to have contact with patients after numerous requests on the basis that routine face to face dental procedures have ceased on the advice of the CDO for and the indemnity providers. As has been stated ad nauseam these are indeed unprecedented times and it will be certainly interesting to note how work will change. Indeed I have noticed that we have had an increase in examining child protection injuries as a result of the lockdown! I have personally discussed the issue of impression taking for suspects in custody with one of the dental indemnity organizations (Dental Protection) and their advice is that taking impressions could “potentially be and aerosol generating procedure if the individual were to gag or cough” and as such we should be wearing the appropriate PPE (mask, visor and gown) and also warn the Police that the room used may need to be fallowed for 60 minutes post procedure. Whilst this may sound over cautious it is the advice from one of our indemnifiers and I would suggest that members seek advice from their own indemnity provider to clarify their own position. This edition of the newsletter also marks the final edition produced by me as the editor and since I will be taking on the position of president from November 2020 it is time to hand the reigns over to a new pair of hands. After 9 years of editing the newsletter I would like to thank all those who have contributed articles over the years and look forward to seeing more in the future. I am delighted to welcome Dr Mahtab (Max) Malekniazi as the new editor.

Roland F Kouble Newsletter Editor / President Elect

Introducing our New Newsletter Editor for 2021

Dr Maxi Malekniazi BDS DGDPUK PGDipNSFA MSc (Hons)For.Od

I gained my dental degree from the University of Birmingham in 1993. I completed a two year mixed vocational training programme which allowed me to gain experience in both general practice as well as hospital settings. During this time, I completed an oral surgery rotation and gained my DGDP from the RCS in 1995. In 1998 my husband and I opened our first mixed NHS/PVT dental practice in the South of Birmingham. At the turn of the millennium I moved to Los Angeles for just under two years. During this time, I completed my board exams whilst undertaking a smile design course and teaching hygienists. On my return I was selected as a vocational trainer, which I did for approximately 5 years, in the West Midlands scheme. During these years, we opened another couple of large practices, one completely private and the other also mixed NHs and private. To complete and compliment my cosmetic dentistry work I obtained my diploma in nonsurgical facial aesthetics. Always having had an interest in forensic dentistry, and forensics in general, I studied forensic dentistry at Glamorgan. I completed my MSc in Forensic dentistry with distinction, in 2010, but with a very busy lifestyle and practices to run, I felt it better to commit to forensic dentistry when the time was right and that I could dedicate the time needed. I moved to 2 years ago and I was extremely lucky to be mentored by our very own, Dr Phil Marsden who needs no introduction.. In November 2019 I joined the BAFO committee, and as editor elect, I am working on an electronic version of the newsletter. Dr Marsden, who manages the BAFO website and I, will aim to present the new version in Spring. I have just completed the first part of my diploma in Forensic Medical Sciences, and hope to complete the course sometime this year. On a personal level outside of dentistry my interests are venturesome travel as well as cars….and Aston Villa. Having spoken to the president elect Dr Kouble, I cannot wait for all the fabulous ideas he has in the pipeline for us all. I am immensely proud to be part of this well established and great team and look forward to more exciting times ahead.

BAFO Conference Postponed

It has been decided that due to the uncertainty surrounding the progression of the Novel Coronavirus pandemic and in the interests of the safety of all BAFO members and their guests, that the Autumn BAFO Conference for 2020 will be postponed for a year. It is anticipated that the venue will remain the same (Dundee) but the conference will now take place in November 2021. Although this is a regrettable decision, it is in keeping with the majority of other organizations and it is also the only prudent one to take at this time. BAFO Autumn Conference Sheffield 2019

The BAFO conference was held in Sheffield over the 15th and 16th November. The conference was opened by Dr Douglas Sheasby the President of the British Association for Forensic Odontology who als introduced our first speaker Dr Vijay Reesu a PhD researcher in the Department of Forensic and legal Medicine at the University of Dundee. Vijay gave a presentation titled: a new development in digital dental identification: automated identification from dental data (AutoIDD), based on his PhD research.

Positive identification methods involve comparison of ante-mortem and post- mortem data that are unique to that individual. Vijay explained that an efficient automatic identification program could enhance the identification process. He proposed a novel technique to assist the forensic expert in identifying deceased individuals using automated system provided ante-mortem records are available. This has been implemented in a newly developed Automated Identification from Dental Data (AutoIDD).

The method uses a combination of techniques including Iterative Closest Point (ICP) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for accurate identification using 3D images. The total study sample consisted of 240 3D maxillary and mandibular dental data. The data was divided into 2 groups: Group A (n=120) and Group B (n=120). The AM data consisted of 3D scans of the dental casts stored at the dental hospital in Dundee and then scanned data from the original casts which was used as the PM data. The software was then calibrated using these comparisons and achieved a 100% match rate.

Vijay then collected dental casts from 30 volunteers which were scanned and digitized. One year later the impressions were repeated to undertake comparisons. The subsequent comparison in these casts gave a match percentage ranged from 64-100% with a mean of 95.5% for maxillary scans and 87-100% with a mean of 96.5% for mandibular scans.

Vijay was able to show that AutoIDD was able to demonstrate the identification of correct matches with a match percentage that clearly differentiates the matches from non-matches. The system was also able to identify changes in the dentition.

Dr Nathan Brown gave the next presentation on “Expectations and Limitations” in dental identification. He talked about his involvement in identifying the victims of the DA-62 plane crash in Dubai which involved three Britons and one South African. The plane crashed as it hit turbulence three miles to the south of Dubai International Airport. The identification involved multiple body parts from the three victims identified in the UK but only two sets of dental records were ever provided. Furthermore there was no access to the South African records for the purposes of exclusion.

Dr Sally Andrews then presented some of the results of her ongoing research into age estimation based on third molar development, morphology and eruption. Whilst these features are highly variable it is generally accepted that the emergence time is between the ages of 17 to 21 years. Her study has found a variation in timing encountered in her sample of British males aged 15 to18 years. In the black males her studies have found that 68% displayed one or more erupted third molars compared to 39% of the white males. The difference between ethnic groups is in contrast to previous literature which has suggested that ethnicity doesn’t play a role in eruption times. Her research also looked at dental panoramic films from 5045 individuals aged 6 to 24 years and she found that there was at least a year and half difference between black ethnic groups and white groups.

Our next speaker hailed all the way from Australia and we were honoured to welcome Dr Stephen Knott a past president of both the Australian Society of Forensic Odontology and the New Zealand Forensic Science Society, who gave two separate presentations for us. Stephen’s first presentation gave an overview of the fire of the Bazar de la Charite in Paris 1897. The fire is one of the first recorded examples of dental records being used as a formal method of identification. The fire began when a projectionists’ equipment caught fire killing 126 people many of whom were aristocratic women caught by a combination of the blaze and panic in the large crowds. Hundreds of others were injured. The Cuban dentist Dr Oscar Amoedo has been recognized as the father of forensic odontology following his treatise on the work undertaken in the identification from dental records in this incident.

Stephen then gave a presentation on the changing role of forensic odontology over the last 28 years of his forensic career of case work within the state of Western Australia. From a case load of 45000 post-mortem examinations involvement of forensic odontology input in seen in 1 out of 32 cases. The bulk of the work (77%) is made up of identification cases and the rest are made up of oral trauma (46%), bite mark analsysis (23%), state of the dentition (17%), age assessment (3%) and miscellaneous cases (11%). The majority of dental identifications (78%) will conclude with an established identity with 20% not having sufficient evidence to identify the remains. The common issue in identification flagged in insufficient evidence has been the lack of available ante-mortem dental data. Overall the case load over the years has remained steady with a slight decrease in demand for dental identification but a significant increase in requests for dental opinions and comprehensive reports.

The Saturday morning lectures started with a presentation from Professor Christopher Dorries, HM Coroner for South Yorshire West, who gave a fascinating lecture on “The evil dentist”. The dentist in question was Dr who who had originally trained first at the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical School and graduated from the Cleveland Homeopathic Medical College in 1884. He also had diplomas as an eye and ear specialist but his qualifications were not sufficient to practice as a doctor in the UK. It is also known that he worked as a dentist and a women’s consultant. The Crippen case made headline news mainly due to the manner in which he and his lover were caught trying to flee to the USA via the SS Laurentic on a Trans- Atlantic crossing. The case was also made famous by the identification of the remains by Sir the forensic pathologist who examined the remains.

Dr Anna Williams from the University of Huddersfield followed on giving a fascinating insight into her work as a forensic anthropologist and presented her case for a Human Taphonomy Facility (Body Farm) in the UK. The morning was rounded off with a talk from Nicholas Cambell QC a criminal barrister from KBW Chambers in Leeds on the benefits and pitfalls of media involvement and interference in court cases in the UK. After lunch we had a comprehensive lecture from Professor Caroline Wilkinson on facial reconstruction methods used in past cases and the present direction research within the field.

Dr Simon Thackeray a general dental practitioner and dento- legal expert witness spoke about “Expert Witness Bias –The types of Bias, the problems it can cause & potential solutions to it”. Simon explained the different type of bias that can influence expert opinion such as affective bias, financial bias, dogma, cognitive bias and contextual bias. Bias is something that affects all our expert work and certainly a big topic in expert witness work in recent years.

Dr James Hampton a consultant radiologist at Sheffield gave the penultimate lecture of the day and spoke about the work of iGene Global Autopsy Service and their contribution to investigations in the UK. Fully body scans have become a routine part of casework at the Medico-Legal Centre in Sheffield and I have benefited from their scans and assistance in a number of identification cases both involving dental information and identification from frontal sinus patterns where ante-mortem scan have been used with the post-mortem data.

The final talk of the day was left to me and given the number of dog bite cases I have reported on in the last 5 years I decided to give an overview of the incidence and some of the fallacies in the statistics quoted. The talk focused on the pattern of dog bite injuries and how they compare and differ to human bite mark cases. The case load for these types of injuries has grown significantly in the last few years, as have the number of solicitors firms specialising in this type of work. Forensic odontology in combination with other experts in dog behavior and dog breed recognition can provide a valuable service and opinion.

Roland F Kouble

Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine RCP

– information for BAFO members

Forensic odontologists with a relevant post-graduate qualification and who have made a contribution to odontology by either practice, research or training can apply to join the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine.

All relevant information is available on the Faculty’s website www.fflm.ac.uk

Alfred William “Freddie” Martin

27th May 1941 – 8th Nov 2019

Freddie passed away after a short illness on the 8th of November 2019. The funeral was held at a packed Beckenham Crematorium on the 2nd of December 2019 and amongst the attendees were many BAFO friends and colleagues, both old and new.

Freddie qualified from the University of Edinburg in 1964 and his first Forensic case was that same year. It wasn’t until 1987 that he cemented his love of Forensic Odontology, obtaining the Diploma in Forensic Odontology from the London Hospital Medical College. He quickly became one of the established Odonts, with a heavy workload. He went on to be the President of BAFO 1990-1992 and was a Founder Member of 'The Centre for International Forensic Assistance' and a Founder Member and Office Bearer of 'The British Association for Human Identification'.

Affectionally known as the Tooth Fairy due to his email address (freddie@the toothfairy……) he was certainly the “go to” Odontologist in the South East and beyond. He worked both nationally and internationally and seemed to be known by everyone in the Police and Coroners’ Service.

Freddie lectured extensively and was a regular contributor at BAFO conferences, drawing on his vast experience of casework involving identification, bite marks, dental age estimations and DVI, with a great number of high-profile cases. He was also generous with his time and sharing of knowledge and mentored or assisted many younger Odonts and was always available to give a helping hand. He had a calmness that was unprecedented and I can honestly say that I never saw him angry or even annoyed.

He was badly affected by the loss of his son Gary, and retired from forensic practice at the end of 2018, after an Odontology career spanning 54 years. He leaves behind his loving wife Joan and son Russell and grandchildren.

Let’s hope he is somewhere with a glass of rum and a cigar. We are richer for his being and poorer for his passing. Phil Marsden

Dr. Roger Summers and Dr. Freddie Martin with Dr. Bertalan Dudas (Anatomist) at the Anatomy Museum, Szeged, Hungary). Derek H Clark CStJ, BDS, LLM, PhD, LDSRCS, DFO, SRN

27th July 1933 – 8th July 2020

A celebration of life Derek was born in Hove, Sussex and the family soon moved to Southwick. He was eight years old when his sister was born. Asthma was diagnosed during early childhood (later COPD as an adult) and would interrupt his education for lengthy periods of time but would not curb his determination to participate in life with relish leading him into three successful careers in nursing, clinical dentistry and forensic odontology. Childhood memories include running out of a school class to an air raid shelter and watching a German pilot bail out of his aeroplane over Shoreham harbour. Little did he know how many air miles he would accumulate and how many identifications he would attend over the years. Educated at Shoreham Grammar School and later Clark’s College, Derek joined the local St. John Ambulance Brigade as a cadet in 1945 leading to him volunteering for the next 40 years. He would become the national headquarters aeromedical staff officer in London to the Commissioner-in- Chief, working with lady Edwina Mountbatten of Burma. As a cadet in 1949 he was on duty when a bus was blown by high winds into the river Adur in Shoreham. Derek assisted with first aid and was sent to fetch brandy from a nearby pub for the survivors. He was underage and not familiar with alcohol (how that would change!) and being brought up in a Christian home he was rather uncomfortable with this task but perhaps this would spark his interest in disaster identification work in later years. His first mortuary trip would soon follow. His voluntary first-aider work at and Sadlers Wells would give him the chance to watch the Bolshoi ballet and Margot Fonteyn dance with Rudolph Nureyev and listen to Pavarotti and Domingo free of charge and would make him a life-long fan of opera and ballet. He was also a keen cyclist. At age seventeen he was volunteering in the local Accident and Emergency Department of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. Finishing school in 1950 he applied to study medicine but failed the entry medical, so he trained instead to become a State Registered Nurse at the Whittington Hospital in Highgate, London, telling them his asthma was no trouble at all! By 1956 he started his dental training at the Royal Dental Hospital, London, taking both the university (BDS) and the Royal College of Surgeons Licence (LDSRCS) exams. He would also become a St. John Air Attendant, using his nursing qualification, thriving on the adrenaline and stress that this brought. His first long haul mission being to escort a Somali man back to Hargeisa, Somaliland, Derek’s first journey out of Europe. He returned from escort duties to with a frozen salmon which made it all the way home in the luggage compartment! Over the years he would fly in all sorts of aircraft from a Bimon Focker to British Airways and escort patients to or from thirty-three countries on five continents. There would be around eighty-five flights with seventy transit stops and include an invitation to Australia to visit their St. John Ambulance and Royal Flying Doctor Services. His passport was well and truly stamped! In 1975 he was made a Commander of the Order of St. John awarded by the Queen in recognition of all that he had done and continued to do for mankind. Whilst a dental student he met his first wife Kathleen (Kate) and they married in 1960 and soon moved to Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, where Derek began his work in dental practice and making friends in the local church community. They would have two daughters, Karen Janette and Susan Jennifer (Amritamati) and his little family was complete. He had a keen interest in oral surgery and attended training sessions in London for general anaesthesia and sedation becoming a member of the Society for Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry (SAAD). Partnership soon arrived with expansion of the practice becoming the sole owner by 1977.

Derek’s thirst for knowledge and fascination with the forensic world would lead him to become one of the Founding Members of the British Association for Forensic Odontology (BAFO) in 1982 and he was president from 1988-1990 and always attended the annual conferences both nationally and internationally. He holds a Diploma in Forensic Odontology from the London Hospital Medical College, the Certificate in Aviation Medicine (he would be the only dentist to gain this qualification when the Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough closed in 1994) and gained his PhD in 1990 becoming a senior forensic odontologist for disaster teams. He would be involved in more than twenty-five mass fatality incidents: his first being the Denmark Place, Soho, London, bar fire in 1980 and his last being the Boxing Day tsunami. Others include the Zeebrugge ferry, Piper Alpha oil rig fire, Lockerbie, and many more. By 2001 he gained a Master of Laws in Medicine (LLM) from the University of Wales but always found giving evidence in Crown Court very daunting, particularly at the and especially those cases involving child abuse. He declined to be retained in the defence case for Rose West fearing that he could not be unbiased where the involved children. Many of us first met Derek as his students when he was involved with the Diploma in Forensic Odontology course (the famous Derek and Eric) first in London and then Hatfield, later to become the University of Hertfordshire, and/or during the MSc in Emergency Management. Derek would be involved with teaching and lecturing nationally and internationally for many years. His textbook “Practical Forensic Odontology” was published in 1992 with contributions from international colleagues and he had over forty articles accepted for publication in various journals. In 2002, Derek was devastated when his wife died suddenly and he relocated in 2004 to Upnor, near Rochester, Kent, and involved himself in local church affairs. He was delighted to have been blessed with two granddaughters and babysitting duties were calling as he was living closer to them. Always a family man. In the aftermath of the Boxing Day Tsunami Derek was the team leader of the first group of three United Kingdom odontologists to fly to Phuket, Thailand, in early 2005 to join the international teams working to identify the victims (worldwide there would be 230,000+ deaths). It was here that he almost had his life cut short as we drove back to our hotel after a long and tiring day on the wrong side of a dual carriageway! Midway through the year after several exhausting rotations Derek decided that it was time to retire.

The retirement timing was perfect as he met Christine (Tina) on a National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Society (NADFAS) trip to France later in 2005. After they had become a couple for a few months I remember at a BAFO conference him peering at me over the top of his spectacles and announcing that he would like to marry this lovely woman. Tina had to wait until 2007 for his impromptu proposal in a vineyard in New Zealand and they married in Rochester Cathedral. The smile was back on Derek’s face and his shirts and ties became very colourful! Throughout his life Derek attended church and held strong Christian beliefs starting from being a Sunday school teacher and he “vowed to be a Christian and not just a church goer.” He and Tina were active in leading the Pastoral Care team and coffee-making duties after Sunday service and Derek became a Rochester Cathedral volunteer both as a welcomer and in the education department (including dressing up as a Benedictine monk for the children's education and entertainment!). By 2012 Derek and Tina moved to a cottage in part of a parkland retirement village. Both belonged to Maidstone U3A and joined several groups: Village Walking, Lunch group, Armchair travel, Wine appreciation (naturally!) and Derek set up a Film group. He had recently been fund raising to secure the finances to have a system set up in Rochester Cathedral whereby services could be transmitted via a link to those who were no longer able to attend services. Derek chose to live his life according to the mottos of the Order of St. John: Pro Fide (for the faith), Pro Utilitate Hominum (for the service of mankind). Before his death it was hoped that Derek’s contributions would be recognised in either the Queen's Birthday Honours or New Year Honours but the process is lengthy and slow. The British Association for Forensic Odontology and the wider global dental community has lost a dear friend, colleague and mentor. Derek was a kind and thoughtful man, a man devoted to his family and he worked tirelessly to help others throughout his long and varied career. A modest man with a Christian heart, a man with a twinkle in his eye who achieved a lot in his almost eighty-seven years. He will be remembered by many in different ways. Our thoughts and love are with Tina and their families. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. From “All is well” by Henry Scott Holland.

Judy Hinchliffe Call for Newsletter Articles

Articles, Case Studies and “Forensic pearls of wisdom”

are always welcome.

Please note that articles should be submitted in Word

Format and emailed to me at [email protected] Dr Maxi Malekniazi BAFO Newsletter Editor

XXXème Congrès AFIO

MERCURE BORDEAUX CENTRE 5, Rue Robert Lateulade – 33000 BORDEAUX

er Jeudi 1erJeudi Oct. Mercure 1 :et accueil Vendredi 8h00 : Dommage 2 octobre Corporel : "Le Chirurgien-Dentiste face 2020à l’expertise ". Jeudi 1er – Soirée croisière Burdigala : 20h00.

Vendredi 2 Oct. Mercure : 8h00 : Identification : " L’évolution des enjeux et des techniques ".

ASSOCIATION FRANCAISE D’IDENTIFICATION ODONTOLOGIQUE Présidente : Dr Gwénola DROGOU-SAOUT - 18, rue Saint Bieuzy - 56270 PLOEMER - tél. : 0618924263 Secrétaire Générale : Dr. Lise MALFROY CAMINE - 6 avenue des Sports – 01640 JUJURIEUX – tel : 0676871079 Trésorière Dr Emmanuelle ARGENCE – 98 rue Le Chatelier – 13015 MARSEILLE – tel : 0609840270

Internet : www.afioasso.org/ Email : [email protected] BAFO Scale of Fees 2020 As agreed with SOCA

Police Post-Mortem & Bite Mark Cases- Hourly Rate: £110 per hour professional time (Professional time includes time at a police station or mortuary and time spent on analysis and report writing) Travelling time: £70 per hour Travelling expenses (road): 70p per mile Coroner’s cases Where identification is requested directly from the Coroner, fees are negotiable directly with HM Coroner or his/her officer. It would be reasonable to use the fee scale relating to a police identification (above) although there are set fees for a standard and a special post mortem and report. Special note: Since 02.12.13. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has REDUCED the fees payable to expert witnesses in both Criminal and Civil cases. The permitted maximum fee for a “dentist” has gone down from £117 to £93.60/Hr (and £72 in London!!) The background and full wording can be found at the following links: http://www.sew.org.uk/ed/001_MoJCP1809/index.cfm and http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/legal-aid/funding-code/remuneration- of-expert-witnesses-guidance.PDF Accessed 26.01.14. BAFO are currently in correspondence with the LAA in an attempt to differentiate the work done by Forensic Odontologists from that done by “dentists” within the Criminal Justice System. It may not be prudent at this time to set precedent by accepting work from solicitors at this reduced rate. £110/Hr is BAFO’s recommended rate