GEORGE NEWS - Forensic anthropologist Belinda Speed has spent nearly two decades helping piece together the stories that bones leave behind.
Since 2007, Speed has worked with the SAPS, the Hawks, the Forensic Pathology Service and the Missing Persons Task Team on cases linked to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Her work has focused on identifying deceased individuals, often long after death has wiped out all other clues.
Speed grew up in George, attending school here before heading to the University of Cape Town to study for a BSc in Genetics and Microbiology. Initially, she had planned on becoming a DNA analyst, but by her third year, she realised that wasn't quite right for her.
UCT offered an Honours programme in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, in which she enrolled. That marked the real beginning of her forensic career as she began doing casework almost as soon as she started the honours year. She later completed her master's in the same field and is currently working towards a PhD in Forensic Medicine.
In 2019, Speed and her family returned to George after her husband was promoted and transferred here. With her parents also based in the area, the move made practical sense. But professionally, it posed a challenge. There is currently no formal forensic anthropology work available in George or its surrounds.
She explained that forensic anthropologists in South Africa are typically employed through academic institutions or police labs based in major cities. The Forensic Pathology Services have yet to establish dedicated posts for anthropologists at district or lab level. "There's not enough casework to warrant having an anthropologist dedicated to a loss of decay," she said.
Forensics at the kennels
In the meantime, Speed has found an unconventional way to stay connected to her forensic roots.
She now works as a kennel manager at the Knysna Animal Welfare Society, where her scientific training proves surprisingly useful.
The organisation runs a clinic, and when injured animals come in, especially those with broken bones or trauma, Speed uses her forensic knowledge to assess the wounds and interpret fractures. "I can use my forensic knowledge to look at the wounds in a specific way, or look at the way the bones are broken in a specific way," she explained.
The police occasionally request the organisation's assistance in animal cruelty cases. While Speed isn't authorised to write official reports herself, she collaborates with the vet to contribute to a more detailed report. "I can work with the vet to contribute towards a more thorough report that can then help the police to do their job better," she said.
Words of wisdom for future forensic experts
For students interested in a career in forensic anthropology, Speed had straight-forward advice: they would need to pursue at least a BSc, followed by postgraduate studies.
"It used to be that you could get away with just doing a BSc. Then it was that you needed an honours. Now I would say you at least have to go to master's," she said.
She stressed the importance of knowing what the field really entails before committing to the long academic path. "You have to really know that you want to do it, and know that it's a long, hard slog, and that there are not a lot of jobs in this country," she said.
For those willing to go overseas, she added, the situation is reversed. "Overseas, lots of job opportunity, not a lot of casework. Here, a lot of casework, but not a lot of jobs."
And for those who imagine a life of constant fieldwork and dramatic discoveries, she offered a reality check. Much of the work, she said, is done in the lab or classroom, teaching others and occasionally taking on cases.
Still, Speed says, for those passionate enough to follow it through, the field remains rewarding.
• On Wednesday 30 July, U3A George/Wilderness had this seasoned forensic anthropologist give a fascinating talk on her work to a solid crowd of about 95 people.
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