Colombia strengthens criminal investigations through cooperation

What are the characteristics of a victim? How is he/she related to the crime? What is his/her role in the criminal event? To answer this and other questions we have victimology, a science that studies a crime from the perspective of the victim.   

On this, with the aim of supporting the Attorney General’s Office of the Nation of Colombia, the cooperation ”Strengthening of the National Context Analysis Group of the Special Investigation Unitproject ‘has carried out an activity on victimological and criminal characterisation.  

The aim of this project financed European Union and managed by the FIIAPP is to increase the action of the Attorney General’s Office in the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed against former members of the FARC-EP, certified by the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace and against members of social and political movements, and to work against criminal behaviours that threaten the implementation of the agreements signed between the FARC and the Government in the construction of peace.   

This activity has benefitted from the technical-scientific experience of two international specialists: Brent E. Turvey (USA) and Aurelio Coronado (Mexico), together with the experience and commitment of the Special Investigation Unit team of psychologists, as well as other professionals of the Special Investigation Unit and the Attorney General’s Office, who know the ins and outs of this important job. These additions are intended to provide proof in the reports for the victimological characterisation.  

The activity has addressed different working documents, including Attorney General’s Office internal and external norms, guides and procedures, as well as scientific documentation, good practices and methodology. Among the contents discussed, the mechanisms for critical evaluation of forensic psychological evidencestand out, through the technical training of the investigation staff and the monitoring of the scientific method. Furthermore, work has been done to consolidate actions based on Human Rights and the gender perspective has been included both in the content and in the different cases included in the referenced protocols and manuals.