Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi
Adli Tıp Anabilim Dalı
Department of Forensic Medicine was established on 8th February 1982 pursuant to CoHE (Council of Higher Education) decree and it has been active since June 2004. Hacettepe University Department of Forensic Medicine is classified under Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sciences Division and it has continued its activities under the main titles of training, research and service.
The building of Forensic Medicine has a seperate entrance and the outpatient clinic services of Forensic Science are carried out in a detached manner from other patients. A seperate “child abuse and neglect” room, which is equipped with a one-way mirror, is available within Department of Forensic Science. The records of interviews can be kept in this mirrored room, which enables the participation of few people in the interview while other individuals related to the case can still observe it.
In addition to services provided for cases of violence against women, cases of sexual abuse and sexual assault, cases of injury, requests of legal guardianship and custody, criminal capacity, age determination and disability cases; Department of Forensic Medicine also provides service of scientific opinion in forensic medicine and forensic sciences, particularly in medical malpractices.
Department of Forensic Science also includes Forensic Toxicology Laboratory, in which analyses of alcohol and soporific, narcotic and psychotropic substances are conducted. With the aim of improving the service quality, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory has been designed as distinctly from routine laboratories. Forensic Toxicology laboratories that give service to natural persons or public agencies and institutions are not available in Turkey. Forensic Toxicology Laboratories, which are subordinated to Council of Forensic Medicine, Police Department and Gendarmerie General Command, are only obliged to meet the demand incoming from Prosecution or Court. Available laboratory equipment minimizes the risk of contamination as the equipment is not used for analysing any other substances. More accurate results are yielded as it is the only toxicology laboratory operated with GC-MS, GC HS ve LC MSMS under the same roof.
Hacettepe University is the proud owner of only Scientific Alcohol Research and Clinical Activities Centre in Turkey. This centre conducts its studies in correlation with Forensic Toxicology Laboratory.
Driving under the influence of alcohol is a significant forensic issue. The cases, in which time has elapsed after a traffic accident, cause failure to determine if the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, as etil alcohol has already been metabolised. Minor metabolytes of alcohol allow retrospectively determining the alcohol level at the time of the incident and the activities in this regard are conducted in our Forensic Toxicology Laboratory.
Legal Expertise:
Legal and private expertise services in the fields of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences are provided to to courts, prosecution, natural persons and legal entities.
Scientific Opinion (Expert Opiniom):
In addition to the services of legal expertise in the fields of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences provided to courts and prosecution, Department of Forensic Science also produces “scientific opinion” as per Article 293 of Code of Civil Procedure and Article 67 of Code of Criminal Procedure upon request from individuals or attorneys of parties.
The fields of expertise that are in scope of the assigned tasks of Department of Forensic Science are as follows:
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- Disability – determining impairment ratings and durations of temporary incapacity,
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- Evaluation of sexual abuse/assault cases,
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- Evaluation of medical and psychological health following sexual assault,
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- Forensic report requests (Vital danger, functional decline or loss in senses and organs, etc.),
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- Claims of medical malpractice,
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- Age determination,
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- Criminal responsibility in children and adults,
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- Evaluation of criminal capability (as per Articles 405 and 408 of Anti-Terror Law),
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- Medicolegal interpretation of existence or levels of alcohol and soporific, narcotic and psychotropic substance use,
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- Evaluation of the impact of alcohol and soporific, narcotic and psychotropic substances on forensic cases,
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- Evaluation of death and causes of death based on forensic medicine,
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- Handwriting & signature examinations.
The levels of alcohol and soporific, narcotic and psychotropic substances can be accurately determined without any need for confirmation, thanks to the methodologies that employ state of art technology.
Furthermore, quality, objectivity and credibility of our laboratory are assured based on similar national and international institutions.
Providing service under Department of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory conducts;
- Levels of ethanol analyses by utilizing GC-HS,
- The analyses given below by utilizing GC-MS and LC-MSMS;
o Benzodiazepines
o Barbiturates
o Tricyclic antidepressants
o Cocaine and its metabolites
o Opiates and their metabolites
o Cannabis/THC
o Amphetamines
o Psychotropic Substances
o General Screening (GC-MS)
o General Screening (LC/MS/MS).
- These substance analyses are conducted with mass spectrometers paired with gas and liquid chromatography in order to yield the most accurate results.
- The operation of laboratories which conduct analyses of soporific, narcotic and psychotropic substances have still been imposed certain restrictions (These laboratories provide service to only competent juridical authorities such as Council of Forensic Medicine, Police Department and Gendarmerie Laboratory). In contradistinction to the current forensic laboratories, we are the first forensic toxicology laboratory to meet the demand incoming from individual applications, private industry, and public agency and institutions.
Department of Forensic Science is located between H Gate of Faculty of Medicine and Deanery Building at the Sıhhiye Campus of Hacettepe University.
Phone:
+90 (312) 305 2004
+90 (312) 305 3191
Fax:
+90 (312) 305 3192
Web:
http://www.adlitip.hacettepe.edu.tr/
http://www.alkolmerkezi.hacettepe.edu.tr/
e-Mail:
adlitip@hacettepe.edu.tr
alkolmer@hacettepe.edu.tr