Latest news with #forensicarchaeology
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Forensic archaeologists flown in to analyse mass grave
Forensic archaeologists and crime scene experts are set to begin excavating and identifying the remains of approximately 800 infants at a former church-run home in Tuam, Ireland. The remains of 802 children, aged from newborns to three-year-olds, were buried at the home for unmarried mothers between 1925 and 1961. A government investigation, launched after an amateur historian uncovered evidence of an unmarked mass grave, found an "appalling" 15 per cent mortality rate among children in Catholic Church-run homes. The excavation project is described as "incredibly complex" due to co-mingled remains, difficulty in determining the gender of infants, and challenges with DNA recovery and archival data. The dig is expected to take around two years, with specialists from multiple countries collaborating on the sensitive project.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Excavation begins for remains of 800 infants at Ireland home
A team of forensic archaeologists and crime scene experts from across the globe will next week begin excavating and trying to identify the remains of around 800 infants who died at an Irish church-run home for unmarried mothers. The remains of 802 children, from newborns to three-year-olds, were buried in the County Galway town of Tuam from 1925 to 1961, a government-commissioned investigation into the network of Catholic Church -run homes found. It also discovered an "appalling" mortality rate of around 15 per cent among children born at all of the so-called Mother and Baby Homes. The probe was launched almost a decade ago after evidence of an unmarked mass graveyard was uncovered by an amateur local historian who was haunted by childhood memories of skinny children at a local home. "We never thought this day would come," Anna Corrigan, whose two brothers were born in Tuam, told reporters next to railings that cordon off the site. Records show at least one of the boys died at the home. "They got no dignity in life and they got no dignity in death, so hopefully their voices are heard because I think they've been crying for a long time to be found." The 2021 report, which found around 9,000 children died in the homes where young pregnant women were hidden from society for decades, was the latest in a series of damning reports that laid bare some of the Catholic Church's darkest chapters. The Tuam home, run by nuns from the Bon Secours Order, was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by a housing estate. Significant quantities of human skeletal remains were found in chambers along with babies' shoes and nappy pins underneath a patch of grass near a playground during test excavations. Daniel MacSweeney, the head of the excavation, said that he could not underestimate the difficulty of the "incredibly complex" project. Experts from Colombia, Spain, Britain, Canada, Australia and the U.S. have joined Irish specialists for the excavation. A JCB digger and construction prefabs stood beside the cleared-out playground at the site on Monday. MacSweeney said the complexity of their work includes the fact that some of the infant remains are co-mingled underground, the difficulty in telling apart male remains from female for those so young, whether DNA is recoverable, and a lack of archival data. Officials expect the dig to take around two years.
Reuters
08-07-2025
- General
- Reuters
Ireland to begin excavation of mass grave at Church-run Mother and Baby home
TUAM, Ireland, July 7 (Reuters) - A team of forensic archaeologists and crime scene experts will next week begin excavating and trying to identify the remains of around 800 infants who died at an Irish church-run home for unmarried mothers. An investigation into the network of Catholic Church-run homes was launched almost a decade ago after evidence of an unmarked mass graveyard at the County Galway town of Tuam was uncovered by an amateur local historian who was haunted by childhood memories of skinny children at a local home. The remains of 802 children, from newborns to three-year-olds, were buried in Tuam from 1925 to 1961, the government-commissioned investigation found. It discovered an "appalling" mortality rate of around 15% among children born at all of the so-called Mother and Baby Homes. "We never thought this day would come," Anna Corrigan, whose two brothers were born in Tuam, told reporters next to railings that cordon off the site. Records show at least one of the boys died at the home. "They got no dignity in life and they got no dignity in death, so hopefully their voices are heard because I think they've been crying for a long time to be found." The 2021 report, which found around 9,000 children died in the homes where young pregnant women were hidden from society for decades, was the latest in a series of damning reports that laid bare some of the Catholic Church's darkest chapters. The Tuam home, run by nuns from the Bon Secours Order, was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by a housing estate. Significant quantities of human skeletal remains were found in chambers along with babies' shoes and nappy pins underneath a patch of grass near a playground during test excavations. Daniel MacSweeney, the head of the excavation, told a news conference that he could not underestimate the difficulty of the "incredibly complex" project. Experts from Colombia, Spain, Britain, Canada, Australia and the U.S. have joined Irish specialists for the excavation. A JCB digger and construction prefabs stood beside the cleared out playground at the site on Monday. MacSweeney said the complexity of their work includes the fact that some of the infant remains are co-mingled underground, the difficulty in telling apart male remains from female for those so young, whether DNA is recoverable, and a lack of archival data. Officials expect the dig to take around two years.
BreakingNews.ie
12-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Jury in Satchwell murder trial hear of moment wife's body was found in grave under the stairs
The jury in the trial of Richard Satchwell has heard of the moment gardaí uncovered the body of his wife Tina in a grave dug almost one metre deep beneath their stairway of their home, over six years after she was reported missing. The trial heard on Monday how two forensic archaeologists assisted in the excavation of the scene "until a hand was exposed". Advertisement Now retired Detective Sergeant Shane Curran, who was the crime scene manager, told Gerardine Small SC, prosecuting, on Monday he was informed by Detective Garda Brian Barry that he had located an area under the stairs of the Satchwell home where the concrete was different to the surrounding area. Mr Curran said the concrete was broken with the assistance of contracted builders. Forensic archaeologist Dr Niamh McCullagh was requested to take over the excavation of that area around 7pm on the night of October 11th, 2023, he said. Richard Satchwell. Photo: PA The witness said a clandestine burial of human remains was discovered containing "the full body of an adult female". He said Ms Satchwell's body had been wrapped in black plastic sheeting. "It was 84cm in depth to the base of the grave which was quite deep," he continued. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC, Mr Curran said that over the last 25 years, 20 individuals have been found in "clandestine burials"; "someone not lawfully buried; what I mean is secreted or hidden away". Advertisement Mr Curran told Mr Grehan that a Cadaver dog called "Fern" had taken significant interest in the lower steps of the stairway in the sitting room of the house and in the right hand side of the steps where the door went into the kitchen. The Central Criminal Court has heard that the search for the body of Ms Satchwell was led by the dog, who had indicated the presence of human remains under the stairway of the missing woman's home. Mr Curran added: "When the dog made significant indications in the area, we started to remove items from under the stairs, and when Det Gda Barry saw a different pour of concrete there, that tweaked his interest". Mr Curran said the average depth of a burial site is 52cms, so 84cms was "very very deep". He said he believed the reason it was so deep was because the earth under the stairs was sandy and easy to dig. Advertisement The witness confirmed that Ms Satchwell's remains were exposed around 8.35pm on the evening of October 11th and the site was fully excavated the next day. He said the remains, which were wrapped in black plastic, were removed from the clandestine burial gravesite and placed into a body bag at 2.40pm on October 12th. Detective Garda Brian Barry said he was at the scene with building contractors, who were using powerful lighting to look under the stairs, when he saw a "different coloured concrete". "It was a newer pour of concrete which was very suspicious to me and unusual," he added. Det Gda Barry said the builders proceeded to break the concrete and the site was dug until black plastic was exposed. He said the black plastic was quite deep at 64cm from the surface, which he described as unusual. He informed the crime scene manager and waited for forensic archaeologists to arrive at the scene. He said the archaeologists took over the excavation of the scene until a hand was exposed. Advertisement Det Gda Barry said he was at the scene again observing the archaeologists on October 12 and had assisted in lifting the deceased out of the clandestine grave. He told Mr Grehan that the brick wall under the stairs "was built very poorly, the mortar had dripped and it didn't look like a wall built by someone who knew how to build a wall – and obviously the dog had indicated in this area". It was at this point he "spotted" the new concrete. Asked whether he was the first person who had "spotted this new concrete", the witness said it was him and the builder. "We were both looking in and it occurred to us that there was new concrete there and it looked suspicious". The trial continues this afternoon before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of five men and seven women. Advertisement Ireland Richard Satchwell told gardaí he kept 'bits and pi... Read More The Central Criminal Court has heard that on March 24th, 2017, Mr Satchwell told gardai that his wife Tina had left their home four days earlier but that he had no concerns over her welfare, feeling she had left due to a deterioration in their relationship. The accused formally reported Ms Satchwell missing the following May but her body was not discovered for over six years, when gardaí in October 2023 conducting "an invasive search" of the Satchwell's home found her decomposed remains in a grave that had been dug underneath the stairs. In her opening address, Ms Small told the jury that after the body was recovered, Mr Satchwell told gardai that he lost his footing and fell to the ground when his wife tried to stab him with a chisel. He told detectives that he held her weight off with a belt but that in a matter of seconds, she was dead in his arms. Mr Satchwell (58), with an address at Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork has pleaded not guilty to murdering his 45-year-old wife Tina Satchwell – née Dingivan – at that address between March 19th and March 20th, 2017, both dates inclusive.
