Forensic Scientists: Senem Škulj and Kornelia Nehse

Senem Škulj is a senior forensic anthropologist for the International Commission on Missing Persons in Bosnia. Thousands of people lost their lives during the bloody conflict when Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s. Many bodies were thrown into mass graves and it's Senem's job to put a name to the bones that are found and to reunite the remains with relatives, so they can have a proper burial.

Kornelia Nehse is a hair and textiles expert, she began her career in the forensics department of the Berlin police 30 years ago. At first Kornelia went to the crime scene to collect evidence, but says it was difficult seeing murder victims, especially the vulnerable ones. Now her job is mainly inside the laboratory working with the tiny microscopic fibres that can help catch and convict an offender.

(Photo: Forensic scientists Senem Škulj (Left) and Kornelia Nehse (Right) at work.
Kornelia Nehse picture credit: Claudia Wendt)