The Office on Missing Persons and Forensics (OMPF) is now the Department of Forensic Medicine (DFM). The DFM, which falls under of the Ministry of Justice, has been reorganised following in-depth analysis of the needs for the development of forensic medicine in Kosovo.

The DFM, which falls under of the Ministry of Justice, has been reorganised following in-depth analysis of the needs for the development of forensic medicine in Kosovo.

The EULEX co-head of the DFM, Alan Robinson, said the changes were necessary in order to pool together all forensic medicine resources in Kosovo.

“This means these resources will be better utilised, for the benefit of the judiciary and the people of Kosovo as a whole,” said Alan Robinson. “The mandate of the DFM remains the same in terms of the missing persons operation and the delivery of forensic medicine. However there are also new competences including further developing local forensic capacities,” he added.

The DFM is established by the Law on the Establishment of the Department of Forensic Medicine. This Law mandates the Department of Forensic Medicine as the competent public authority responsible for providing forensic medicine and medical death investigation expertise. This includes the search, location, exhumation, autopsy and identification of human remains related to the armed conflict in Kosovo and its aftermath and the return of bodily remains to their families.

EULEX has a team of dedicated forensic and missing person experts co-located within DFM.