Artists to be trained in forensic skills to assist with Police probes

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has partnered with the University of Guyana and the Guyana Police Force to train artists in forensic skills, in order to facilitate “access to justice”.
Through Blossom Incorporated, these persons will assist the investigation using artistic techniques for identification, apprehension or conviction purposes. This is in response to violence against children in the country.
“The collaboration will focus on ensuring that there is a consistent skill set to engage with the GPF and other agencies that work on the frontlines of child protection violations,” UNICEF said in a press statement.
According to UNICEF Country Representative Sylvie Fouet, there remains the need for a medium to aid in investigating or reporting cases of sexual abuse or violence committed on children.
“Partnerships remain critical to both preventing and responding to all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse. While Guyana has made strides to address these violations through actions at policy, institutional, community and service delivery levels, there is still significant work to be done to ensure that every child is protected and have access to transformative justice,” Fouet outlined.
Through the partnership, UG will play a role in providing forensic artists to the GPF, which will aid with their investigations, particularly in cases relating to children and adolescents.
Expertise that can be provided by forensic artists includes a number of methods. Composite drawing will help investigators generate leads based on physical descriptions. For example, to assist in cases of child sexual abuse or missing children – including those referred by the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) to Blossom Inc.
Image modification would be used to change and enhance a photograph in order to help an investigator or trial attorney. On the other hand, image identification is the recording of a person’s distinguishing features for future reference. Investigators can use this tool to identify suspects who attempt to change their appearance to evade capture, as well as in the study of cold cases.
Additionally, crime scene sketching helps support the information shown in photographs of the scene. Demonstrative evidence can also be used when any visible, physical evidence is recorded in legal proceedings.
Director of Blossom Inc, Ayodele Dalgety-Dean has welcomed the move by saying, “This is a welcome addition in our fight again child sexual abuse, where oftentimes, in the many hard to reach areas of Guyana, including Regions One, Two, Seven and 10, alleged perpetrators would disappear into the interior and it becomes difficult to locate them with no support available to help jog memories of persons they may have come into contact with.”
In 2021, there are plans to support the development of a specialised course of forensic art since such expertise can contribute to composite drawing, crime scene sketching and image identification.
Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin insisted that this partnership offers students of the Creative Arts Faculty and alumni with the opportunity to use their talents in an area of forensic specialisation.
“This programme will help to give a diversified profile and fillip to the Visual Arts Department of our Faculty of Education and Humanities. Needless to say, UG is the people’s University, so anything we can do that helps us fulfil the mandate of making life better for Guyanese, we will within our means most certainly, do,” Mohamed-Martin stated.
Commissioner of Police Leslie James has also committed their efforts towards children-related cases and the use of local talent to assist the Force. (G12)