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Forensic Medicine: Child Protection and Autopsies
Forensic medic Constanze Niess discusses her work investigating child abuse and conducting autopsies, highlighting the emotional and professional challenges of her career.
German
Germany
HealthGermany Child ProtectionForensic ScienceDeath InvestigationCrime InvestigationMedical Expertise
Institut Für RechtsmedizinFrankfurter Universitätsklinik
Constanze NiessWonge BergmannAlfred Schüssler
- How has Niess's emotional approach to her work evolved over her career?
- Niess has been working in forensic medicine since 1996 and has experienced emotional shifts in her career. Initially finding the work exciting, she learned to separate work emotions from her personal life and now feels empathy for the victims of crimes.
- What is Constanze Niess's area of specialization within forensic medicine?
- Constanze Niess specializes in forensic medicine, focusing on child protection cases. She analyzes injuries to determine the plausibility of explanations given, often identifying child abuse.
- What other types of cases besides violent crimes impact Niess and cause reflection?
- Beyond violent crimes, Niess is also affected by ' Schicksale,' or fates, of individuals such as a man who died from an undiagnosed heart condition, highlighting that her work encompasses more than just violent deaths.
- Besides examining corpses, what other important tasks does Niess perform in her work?
- Niess's work also includes examining corpses and conducting autopsies to help solve homicides. She assists judges in court cases by providing expert testimony and explaining the findings of her investigations.
- How does Niess describe her approach to examining deceased bodies, and what is her focus during these examinations?
- Her work involves meticulously examining bodies for injuries and signs of disease, a process she describes as abstract, focusing on the remains as clues to solve the death rather than emotional connection to the deceased.