David Klatzow

Sylvia Walker

For a very long period of time, Dr. David Klatzow was the only independent forensic investigator in South Africa. During apartheid, he was the man human rights lawyers called when they needed forensic evidence to uncover the truth. Although some cases are still unsolved, for him a case is never closed. The truth is out there, and he will find it.

The Life and Times of a Forensic Scientist

Steeped in Blood

If you are accused of a crime you did not commit, do you believe that justice will prevail in a court of law? Perhaps you should think again... An innocent woman is almost sent to prison for eight years because of a mistaken fingerprint identification by so-called forensic experts; a chicken farmer is hanged for a brutal murder he did not commit due to incorrect analysis of post-mortem bruising; and a mother is sent to prison for murdering her baby daughter when a substance is falsely identified as blood ... These are just some of the major forensic disasters that have occurred over the past 100 years, and which are exposed in Justice Denied. Contrary to what television series like CSI and NCIS would have one believe, forensic science does not provide instant answers to impenetrable crimes; in reality, forensic science is neither clear-cut nor easy to interpret, and practitioners are not all competent - as renowned forensic scientist Dr David Klatzow proves in this book. In Justice Denied, he exposes the miscarriages of justice resulting from the faulty courtroom testimony of corrupt or incompetent forensic pathologists and unscrupulous public prosecutors who seek convictions at all costs. From the infamous Dr Crippen case in 19th-century England to the dingo–baby trial in Australia and the unsolved murder of Inge Lotz, Justice Denied reveals the incalculable damage done both to people's lives and to justice across the globe. Justice, while age-old, is not always served when bad science plays a hand.

The Role of Forensic Science in the Miscarriage of Justice

Justice Denied

Bloody crimes of passion, political assassinations, sinister poisonings, investment fraud and mass mining disasters ... Dr David Klatzow has seen it all. During his extraordinary twenty-six-year career as South Africa’s foremost independent forensic scientist, he has investigated countless high-profile and notorious cases. Steeped in Blood provides gripping accounts of dozens of these matters, including the infamous deaths of Brett Kebble and Inge Lotz, the Helderberg aeroplane crash and the frustrating investigations of the brutal apartheid years. From the Gugulethu Seven and Trojan Horse massacres to the assassination of David Webster, Klatzow’s investigations reveal his fierce determination to unveil the truth in spite of overwhelming state obstructions, police bungling and cover-ups. Unfazed by controversy and unwilling to accept no for an answer, Klatzow’s tenacity, fearlessness and forensic know-how are used to brilliant effect in these fascinating cases. This book exposes a demanding and sinister world where the rewards are equalled only by the frustrations, and where the truth is always elusive. But the truth is out there, and David Klatzow will find it.

David Klatzow

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