VIDEO | Dr. Duma: Quasi-scientists are destructive, trained people need to communicate with the public
Dr. Alexei Duma, former director of Forensic Medicine, Deontology and Criminology, an institute that deals with expertise in this type of accident at the Morning Briefing, explains the procedure for identifying the victims and the medical investigation into the possible causes of the accident.
Forensic medicine is a link between medical and legal sciences. We interpret the medical findings with the dictionary of the court so that it can apply and implement them in the court procedure. Deontology is the science of duty, moral norms, how a professional should behave, says Dr. Duma.
He says the Institute will do classical identification procedure according to Interpol norms. Interpol has the entire directorate for this procedure which is strictly regulated and how the communication between the domicile country and the country where the accident took place takes place. According to the new legislation, the procedure is led by the Prosecutor's Office. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria acted correctly, allowing access of our experts to the scene of the accident. We made the same procedure possible when the Bulgarian tourists died in Ohrid. All information and conclusions are exchanged, explains Dr. Duma.
Regarding the speculation that a driver's weakness or heart attack may have occurred, and how it is determined, Dr. Duma says that it depends on the degree of burn whether it can be seen that someone has had a heart attack.
-If it is a quick heart attack, it is very difficult to find evidence. The heart muscle is well protected in the body. Knowing the abilities of colleagues, they will quickly come to conclusions. It bothers me that quasi-scientists and cafe scientists spread gossip that people hear and that is very destructive. It regulates how to communicate with the public. Relatives who have lost loved ones are in shock and affection and are instinctively aggressive. The culprit has not been identified, so the aggression is directed at the teams working on identification. "We need skilled people and good journalists to communicate properly," Dr. Duma told the Morning Briefing.
Regarding the duration of the identification procedure, he says he does not know the capacity of the Sofia Institute.
An autopsy on one body would take at least three hours. You have to work very carefully. This is a terrible psychological burden and the teams must be given rest. If you are not used to suppressing emotions, it is difficult. It happened to me that a colleague came and told me I could not do this, says Dr. Duma.
Follow the whole conversation in the video