Forensic Institute
Forensic Institute
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As a surviving relative, you can submit a written request to the NFI to take cognisance of the (provisional) autopsy results and/or to obtain a copy of the autopsy report later. We recommend that you submit this request via your general practitioner. The NFI will send your request to the public prosecutor who ordered the autopsy. The public prosecutor will decide whether your request will be honoured.
Your request must include the following details about the deceased: (maiden) name, date of birth, place of birth, address, date of death and place of death.
Address your request to:
Netherlands Forensic Institute
attn. Department of Pathology
Postbus 24044
2490 AA The Hague
The Netherlands
The NFI only performs tests concerning family relationships in the context of criminal proceedings on the instructions of a public prosecutor or examining magistrate, and in the framework of requests for family reunification at the request of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
The NFI also uses DNA technology to establish family relationships in disaster identifications (e.g. the Bijlmer disaster).
The NFI does not conduct graphological analysis, but it does perform forensic handwriting analysis.
This is done to determine whether someone has written something (e.g. an anonymous letter) and to examine the authenticity of signatures.
The NFI provides services to clients within the criminal justice chain, such as the Public Prosecution Service and the police. A lawyer in a criminal case may also ask the examining magistrate or the public prosecutor handling the case to have the NFI conduct an examination. In addition, the NFI provides services to other persons or authorities, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service, foreign police or justice authorities, or to special investigative services such as the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) and the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD). This always concerns examinations in criminal proceedings.
It is not possible to spend a day observing the lab work at the NFI.
However, students in certain disciplines can do a work placement at the NFI.
The NFI only organizes visits and tours for specific groups that are in direct contact with the NFI, such as police groups (forensic investigation), judicial authorities (e.g. public prosecutors), other investigative services and scientific institutions. Tours for students are only possible if they are taking a relevant course (e.g. criminalistics or forensic medicine). Unfortunately, tours for other groups are not possible.
The NFI does not send written information such as folders and posters.
All information made available by the NFI can be found on this website. The general brochure provides a good impression of the organisation.
The methods used in 'CSI' give a good impression of the work done by the NFI, although there are some important differences. The NFI is not a police laboratory, and performs examinations independently and objectively. The institute does not take any positions with regard to guilt or innocence.
In the series everything happens much more quickly than in reality. After all, the crime must be solved in one episode. The examiners of the NFI do not solve crimes themselves, but perform examinations on behalf of the NFI’s clients. These clients submit evidence (exhibits), which the NFI then examines for traces in accordance with the assignment. The NFI employs specialists in certain disciplines (biology, explosives, weapons and ammunition, pathology, toxicology, etc.), while the actors in 'CSI' appear to be familiar with multiple disciplines.
Forensic pathologists must complete a medical degree programme with a specialisation in pathology.
The NFI then trains the pathologists to become forensic pathologists.
‘Forensic’ comes from the Latin word ‘forum’. In Roman times one of the meanings of this word was ‘place in a community where justice is administered in public’. In Dutch linguistic usage ‘forensic’ is synonymous with ‘legal’. The words ‘forensic’ and ‘legal’ can usually be interchanged, as in ‘legal’ or ‘forensic’ psychiatry. In other disciplines, one of the two words is sometimes used consistently.
Forensic examination is a broad field with different specialities. Which courses are needed to become a forensic examiner therefore depends on the specialisation. The forensic disciplines described on this website Internal link to Products and services > Forensic disciplines provide an overview of the nature of the work carried out by the NFI.
The NFI employs people with an education at scientific, higher (Higher Laboratory Education, HLO) or secondary (Secondary Laboratory Education, MLO) level. Employees are trained as forensic examiners internally. Specific questions on the content and duration of a study programme should be directed to the university in question.
It is not possible take a course at the NFI.
The NFI is not an educational institution and can not provide advice on study programmes. Questions on the content and duration of a study programme should be directed to the university in question.
The NFI receives many requests for lectures and presentations. The NFI therefore only provides lectures and presentations for specific groups that are in direct contact with the NFI (forensic investigators of the police, justice authorities, other investigative services and scientific institutions), or for students in the last phases of their forensic-technical education. Unfortunately, lectures or presentations for other groups are not possible.
