The number of unreported killings is high Photo: University of Salzburg
The head of forensic medicine at the University of Salzburg, Prof. Fabio Monticelli, who is also responsible for Upper Austria, on negative developments and TV thrillers.
VOLKSBLATT: No TV thriller can do without a coroner who more or less solves a bloody crime. To what extent does the image conveyed on television correspond to reality?
MONTICELLI: Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on how realistic fiction should be or how good the screenwriter’s forensic consultants are. In addition, in a thriller, the case has to be solved within 90 minutes, so that a departure from reality is necessary for dramaturgical reasons alone.
Do you watch detective stories yourself or can you identify with one of the coroners?
I watch very few of these mysteries. I deal with such topics during working hours. The need for free time is very limited. Sometimes, however, I get stuck with programs in which real cases are rolled up – out of professional interest.
What makes a good coroner?
A good forensic pathologist has a criminal instinct and must question information that seems clear.
In crime fiction, investigators are always under time pressure. Is that also the case in reality?
Time pressure, as it occurs in crime novels, can sometimes be present. Autopsy results are essential for the further investigation steps. Information about the course of the crime or the weapon used is crucial for clarifying the case. The search for the perpetrator can thus be accelerated. In the assessment of (living) victims of violence in particular, a rapid forensic medical assessment is essential and beneficial in terms of securing evidence. The more time elapses, the more difficult (or even impossible) it is to secure evidence and the more imprecise the assessment and interpretation.
Doctors try to heal people, you and your colleagues determine what caused someone to die. Is that as satisfying as making someone well?
Curative medicine and forensic medicine are difficult to compare. In the case of autopsies, the victim is not helped directly, but rather the relatives. In addition, you contribute to finding the truth and fighting crime. This is a socio-political mission that we work for. When examining living people who have been victims of violent crime, the victims themselves are also helped. Not in a curative sense, but on another level.
When you’re constantly dealing with death, does it make you see life differently or take fewer risks?
In any case, one becomes aware that life can suddenly come to an end. The logical consequence would actually be to live more consciously. Nevertheless, even with this specific knowledge, it is not easy to put it into practice. At least for me it doesn’t follow an automatism.
The number of autopsies has fallen sharply in recent years, and things are not going well with the offspring either, which is why Minister Zadic set up a working group in 2020.
Autopsy numbers have been plummeting for centuries. However, this primarily affects autopsies that are carried out in hospitals for the purpose of quality assurance in clinical work. The forensic (forensic) autopsy rates are largely stable, but at a very low level. The evaluation of the data from Statistics Austria results in judicial autopsy rates of less than 1 to more than 3 percent, depending on the federal state. Inevitably we have to deal with unexpected unreported cases of undetected homicides. I don’t know exactly what the working group’s goal is.
Does that mean we accept that a number of bloody crimes go unsolved?
This is the unanimous opinion among forensic experts. There are various scientific estimates on this. The extremely low autopsy rate in Austria (in relation to judicial autopsies) and the largely inadequate post-mortem examination system (death examination) can only result in a high number of unreported undetected non-natural deaths and thus also in homicides.
Why is this profession not very attractive for medical professionals?
Although the subject itself is very interesting and varied, there are some disadvantages that may discourage young doctors from entering the field. So a branch is hardly possible. In addition to serving the police and courts, forensic pathologists should also conduct research and teaching. Only a few want to take on this double burden. not everyone is born with research and teaching. Other disadvantages are sometimes insufficient payment compared to other disciplines or in other German-speaking countries. In addition, there is the psychological stress and the curative approach. In Austria we are complaining about a blatant shortage of coroners, which will result in a collapse of forensic medical assessments in the near future.
There is always progress in medicine, just think of the vaccine development in the corona pandemic. What is your subject like? You yourself have developed a new method for determining the time of death.
After our subject is anchored at the university, research is also carried out in forensic medicine. Just think of the development in DNA analysis and in chemical-toxicological analysis. These high-tech apparatus-based examination options have developed extremely well. Today it is possible to solve many crimes. A lot is also happening in the forensic medical field. At the institute we are in the process of implementing a method for limiting the time of death.
As a native of Italy, what do you appreciate about Austria?
I’ve been in Austria for almost 20 years and I felt very comfortable right from the start. The people, the country, the nature make it very worth living here. And Italy is also nearby.
What is your work-life balance like?
I find this mainly in the family and in sports. Of course, I also try to take advantage of the extensive cultural offerings in Salzburg.
Heinz Wernitznig spoke to forensic doctor FABIO MONTICELLI