【Video】Winsome Lee | Forensic anthropologist - Unveiling the truth for the dead
Winsome is a forensic anthropologist. Her work often comes into contact with corpses and skeletons. She has participated in different humanitarian works to ‘speak up’ for the dead, and to restore the hidden truth. In recent years, she made a number of publications as well as hosted some radio programmes, hoping to enlighten the public about her job and to promote death education.
“Each ‘contact’ with the deceased is a philosophical lecture on life. You can learn about their lives, the society that they lived in, as well as gain medical knowledge from each case — these are things that textbooks won’t tell you.”
Journalist: King Kenny
Translator: Penguine
Photos: Onehungrycoconut, Winsome Lee
Videographer: HKers Normal
Video Editor: Wolei
What is forensic anthropology?
When most people hear of ‘forensics’, they will immediately think of autopsies. Undeniably, we do need to have certain knowledge about anatomy, but our job is very different from what the general public perceives.
Essentially, there are two distinctive professions under forensic science who deal with human remains. One profession is forensic pathologists, the other is forensic anthropologists. Forensic pathologists would perform autopsies on recent corpses to investigate any changes from a pathological perspective. They will then use these findings to analyse the cause of death from a medical point of view.
On the contrary, forensic anthropologists are mainly responsible for identifying the body. We usually deal with the more decomposed bodies, which are the ‘uglier ones’. Sometimes, we would also need to process those that are burnt or mouldy.
If the autopsy failed to identify the body, we would use the skeleton and their teeth to figure out who the victim or the deceased is. At times, we would also need to piece back fragments of the skeleton into their original shape and form — it’s like completing a three-dimensional puzzle!
Basically, the work of forensic pathologists and anthropologists falls under the same umbrella of forensics. In a way, we use different ways to help to piece the puzzle together. Therefore, these two areas of expertise often collaborate as a team in major incidents or in humanitarian works.
There are very few forensic anthropologists in Hong Kong. Strictly speaking, I’m the only one. Most of the time, I’m not even working in Hong Kong. A lot of projects are from foreign countries, especially in places where wars and conflicts occurred.
One interesting thing about this field is that many of us are women. Take my past working teams as a reference, there could just be one male colleague in every 20 people - sometimes none at all! We often joke about women having the natural talent and tendency in raking over the past. Such instincts come in handy when processing buried bodies in mass graves which requires the combination of archaeological knowledge and scientific reasoning.
How I got into forensic anthropology
Before studying forensic anthropology, I briefly considered pursuing law. This thought arose when I was taking ‘Philosophy of Law’ during my Philosophy degree. We touched on topics and cases of the death penalty in this course. I distinctly remembered that my professor invited a chaplain to share their experiences working closely with death row inmates. After that, I frequently pondered about the death penalty. I even thought of using this topic for my thesis if I continued pursuing Philosophy instead of Law. However, I ultimately gave up pursuing Law as I discovered that there exists a certain level of subjectivity and limitations. For instance, some judges include their personal opinion in their verdicts, which creates a very murky and hazy impression of Law for me.
Fast-forward to when I was studying anthropology, I recall a professor once said that not only do forensic anthropologists focus on the investigation, we are also involved in international projects which could concern human rights issues. It is our job to understand each individual’s life experience to honour their passing in order to treat the dead with dignity and respect. It is our responsibility to retrieve their identities and to assist families seeking closure. I was very moved by the missions of being a forensic anthropologist. This is the reason I decided to pursue forensic anthropology as my career path.
When studying forensic anthropology, one of the assessments at school is the identification of different skeletal structures from given specimens, usually skulls. All specimens provided were thoroughly cleansed and processed. Our professors would place different types of specimens in every corner of the room. Some are real; others are replica. Each student would take turns examining them. At times, our professors would select specimens from the archaeological archives for us to examine. Those are often discoloured or broken. Our professors would ask, “What do you think this person went through from observing their skull?”
Field trips were vastly different from studying in classrooms. Mass graves are often very dirty. We also had to bear the smell of the decaying flesh. It is a vile environment to work in. Because of that, my family would always laugh at me looking like I was working in construction sites whenever they see photos of me working in the field.
Seeking the ‘voice’ of the human remains
Cases that we handle can vary in complexity. They can range from simple accidents or tragedies to major war crimes or humanitarian crises. Mondays are usually our busiest day of the week because accidents are more likely to happen on weekends when people are usually off work.
I am a rather expressive person naturally. I can still remember my contorted face of disgust the first time I handled a corpse. There was another drunk driving case where I found the victim’s humeral bone was missing when doing the autopsy. As it turned out, it was donated. The empty space was filled with gauze so the arm was extra floppy and soft. It was my first time seeing a boneless arm so I was very surprised.
When I handle cases, I would feel rather down afterwards. Some cases are still engraved into my memory. So whenever I hear of any friends having similar experiences, I would always try to empathise with them. However, I still need to keep my personal emotions at bay during work. It is essential for me to stay rational and objective for my investigations. Therefore, we have to inform our colleagues if we are in low spirits or in distress.
I came across a few students on placement who were affected by the juvenile cases. They teared up at the sight of the children’s belongings. As the whole team could easily get affected by their emotions and influenced our work of investigation, we would suggest these students go take a break from the case and calm down.
Sometimes, we need to work long hours in the workshop. This high level of concentration and intensity can be mentally and physically challenging. In some extreme cases, one could end up hallucinating if they overlooked their bodies’ reaction to stress and overworked themselves to fatigue.
My personal mindset at work is to contribute as much as possible but within my tolerance. Of course, I experienced episodes of burnout. Therefore, it is very important to learn and understand how to take care of yourself and to look out for others as well.
Tackling the concept of death
Everyone experiences birth, ageing, sickness and eventually death. However, we rarely think about what happened after we die. That’s why I believe that death education and forensic science are the scope of knowledge that we should know. In fact, not all concepts or principles behind science and theories are complicated. Anyone could comprehend these concepts if they try.
As such, my initial intention of writing a book, is to unravel the ‘mystery’ of the field of forensic anthropology. It is a great platform for public education and promotion. I wished to introduce stories and scientific knowledge related to death to my readers through my words and work experiences. Ultimately, I want to reduce the element of ‘fear’ on corpses.
Since death is a taboo subject in Chinese culture, I thought that it is also a good opportunity to discuss this topic by exploring a mysterious and cool profession. Moreover, the process of writing the book gives me an opportunity to reflect and refresh past memories and experiences.
I felt that the process of writing this book is also testing my knowledge in forensic anthropology, for I need to transform complex concepts into plain words such that my reader can understand. This is an art by itself.
I realised that there is something cathartic about writing and sharing during this process. It is perhaps therapeutic to share insights that I gained from archaeological and individual cases or to discuss personal realisations from studying how different cultures perceive death. Subsequently, I felt that I am constantly in self-cultivation when I am attending TV shows, talks, as well as writing books.
Every case is a learning experience. Once a case is closed, I often have this sense of liberation, like coming out of a retreat. It made me reflect on my own life and my attitude towards others. This is especially true when I am working abroad. When I work on projects related to families, I always have the urge to go back home. It reminded me to cherish those who are close to me and to be grateful for what I have.
Forensic Anthropologists in connecting the past with the future
From my personal experience, each ‘contact’ with the deceased is a philosophical lecture on life. We don’t just learn about post-mortem changes of their bodies, but more importantly, how to honour and respect the dead. These bodies are more than just cadavers. You can learn about their lives, the society and environment that they lived in, as well as gaining medical knowledge from each case – these are things that textbooks won’t tell you.
Their past lives and living environment gave us the living perspectives on our future and how we should live.
Although forensic sciences may seem to be merely digging into the past, I believe that it is, in fact, a science to prepare us for the future. It ties the past with our future. The use of current technologies and knowledge in forensic sciences give answers to questions about our own future through the lens of the past. Forensic sciences encourage us to face death.
Hong Kong’s ‘bone room’
Many things have happened over the past year in Hong Kong. There are a lot of stories and incidents yet to be completely uncovered. Like forensic anthropology, the process of unveiling the truth can take a long time. So I wish to encourage Hongkongers not to give up even when there is no immediate result just yet.
From my experiences at work, reconstructing the truth from histories can be a lengthy process – it could take a few decades or even up to a few centuries. Although it can be a cruel and torturous wait for people who experienced or witnessed what happened, we should be resilient and should not lose the will to seek the truth.
‘Justice’ may have different meanings and interpretations, but there can only be one truth. One day, the truth will come to light.
Many Hongkongers have experienced different types of trauma, physical and/or psychological, over the past year. No matter what the trauma is, they should not be belittled or ignored. We cannot pretend that nothing has happened. Scars remain even after wounds are healed. These are marks that will not be forgotten over time. Whether the harm was done physically, mentally or spiritually, they all need our support and encouragement.
Some people still share their personal experience despite their ‘scars’. It takes tremendous courage to stand up and speak out. Be it formal prosecution, legal action or even just an account of what happened, it helps the process of seeking the truth and seeking justice. We have to be thankful for these brave souls who are willing to testify. I am very inspired and touched by them.
As a forensic anthropologist, I have the responsibility to ‘speak out’ for the dead. I strongly believe that my mission is to assist their family and friends to seek closure even if it is a hard and winding road to the truth. I don’t regret my career choice. If I have to choose again, I would still pursue forensic anthropology.
“I am Winsome Lee. I am a HKer. ”
Support our Journalism with a Contribution
Many people might not know this, but despite our large team of contributors, which we are immensely grateful for, We Are HKers is still a small bootstrapped group that runs on no outside funding and loans. Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities, time, meals and sleep to help give HKers all over the world a voice and keep our culture alive.
However, we still face many trials in the running of our platform, from finding the necessary equipment for our video interviews, to subscribing to the necessary tools to facilitate our remote work process of our global team, to trying not to get fired from our main jobs as we run this project secretly in the background, and to keeping our platform running and storing our files securely.
We hope you consider making a contribution, so we can continue to provide you with moving stories of HKers all over the world and keep our heritage and culture alive. Even a £1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for everyone’s support. We love you all and can’t appreciate you guys enough.
**Please note that your support of We Are HKers Ltd. does NOT constitute a charitable donation. We really appreciate your support in independent journalism. If you have any questions about contributing to We Are HKers, please contact us here.
- February 2022
- December 2021
- August 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
[*1] Leung Ling-kit is a protester who fell to his death at Pacific Place on 15 June 2019.
This article was featured on Apply Daily English Version. See the article @ https://hk.appledaily.com/feature/20200808/ZOO5WQFJVSKTVKVJ5YQ32M4RD4/