I recently attended a workshop on domestic violence that was held on the sidelines of the Second Saudi International Conference on Forensic Medicine and Sciences, which was organized by the Saudi Society of Forensic Medicine. Forensic science has helped solve many criminal cases and has become an integral part of the criminal investigation process. The conference discussed the application of x-ray imaging in forensics, accident scenes, forensic toxicology, DNA fingerprints, crisis management, forensic odontology, forensic criminal evidence and several other topics. A number of prominent Saudi forensic experts and investigators along with domestic violence experts took part in the workshop. Moreover, female Saudi forensic scientists participated in the conference and explained in detail several aspects of forensics and their role in solving difficult crimes. They also talked about their experience, the cases they dealt with and how they played a major role in helping male investigators solve crimes. Investigators can sometimes face difficulties solving crimes and have to ask forensic scientists for help. Each scientist talked about her personal experiences dealing with domestic violence, a problem that requires skill to find a solution. These female Saudi forensic experts make us all proud. It is sad that we only have a few Saudis working in this field, even though forensic medicine is an important discipline. According to Dr. Ahmed Al-Yehya, President of the Saudi Society of Forensics, there are only 30 Saudi forensic scientists, both male and female. We should encourage more Saudis to study forensic science and provide them with both moral and financial support. It is an important field on which human life depends. With the rising percentage of assaults and domestic violence, it is important to seek the help of forensic scientists to determine what really happened in certain cases.
