Working to shed a light on the fate of missing persons: Making an impact, one case at a time
The moment when families are handed over the remains of persons who have been identified by the IFM with the forensic support of EULEX, is certainly the most emotional, but at the same time the most encouraging, not only for Dr. Marinho, but for her entire team.
“While waiting for answers about the fate of their missing family members, relatives and friends suffer an unspeakable and protracted grieving,” says Marinho, and “to help them share such a heavy burden without losing trust in the process and continue having confidence that their loved ones are not forgotten, is an essential part of our work.”
Dr. Marinho joined EULEX to apply her competences as forensic anthropologist in the identification of missing persons in 2021, as a result of a multifaceted professional journey which brought her from Portugal to Canada, Spain, and, finally, to Kosovo.
Having always been fascinated by the functioning of human body, she started her studies in the field of health sciences, and she immediately understood the importance of complementing the development of theoretical knowledge with a practical experience in the applied field.
It was thanks to both her early volunteer work and her career path that she had the opportunity not only to get in contact with the field of forensic medicine, but to also meet some of the professionals working in forensics that inspired her to advance her studies in the field of forensic anthropology.
Over the years, Dr. Marinho met several inspiring women who were trailblazers in applying forensic anthropology to various contexts, bridging the academic world with the police or humanitarian applied fields.
Forensic anthropology is a field of study dominated by women
“Despite what people could commonly think, forensic anthropology is a field of study dominated by women”, explains Marinho. “In EULEX, for example, over the last few years my team has welcomed, through our Internship Programme, four young professionals, all women, who contributed with their fresh perspective and updated knowledge.”
Dr. Marinho soon understood that forensic anthropology was the area around which she wanted to pursue a career. “The investigative side of forensic anthropology immediately captivated me,” explains Dr. Marinho. “I feel like the human body is able to say so many things from so little details. It is like solving a puzzle.”
But it was while working on missing persons cases from the Spanish civil war that Dr. Marinho had the chance to meet up close with their family members, listen to their stories and was struck by the compelling impact of the application of forensic anthropology to conflict-related and humanitarian issues on people lives: “I was impressed how in Spain, despite that nearly 90 years passed since the war, family members from first and second and third generations are still getting answers due to the continued efforts of professionals and volunteers alike.”
As Head of the EULEX Forensic Medicine Team, the responsibilities of Dr. Marinho encompass quite complex coordination efforts within the Mission, including its mandate to offer expertise and advice in the location of clandestine or unmarked graves through the application of forensic archaeology, and the exhumation and identification of human remains.
Families of missing persons have the right to receive answers
“I am extremely proud of the relentless work of not only my team, but of the Mission as a whole,” confirms Dr. Marinho, “despite the existing challenges, I believe that our commitment to supporting relevant institutions in shedding light on the fate of missing persons, regardless of the circumstances of their disappearance, their ethnic, religious or national origin or any other characteristics, are having a real impact, one case at a time. We are here to remind, through our work, that families of missing persons have the right to receive answers, and that they are not left alone.”
