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BALI BOMB DVI CASE REPORT
by

the Chairman of the Indonesian Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Team
dr. EDDY SAPARWOKO, Sp JP,MM,DFM (former Sespusdokkes Polri)

"The Bali bomb blast on October 12, 2002, was a tragedy that hurt humanity. 
We cannot do anything to change the fact, 
we cannot put the life back to the deceased, 
nothing much we can offer to relieve the grief of the deceased' friends and families, 
we just try to do our best to identify the bodies, hand in hand with our colleagues who, like us, volunteered from many different parts of the world." - putkes

With the support of International experts  The Indonesian DVI Team manage to identify 199 bodies of 202 (98.51%)

The purpose of this report is to provide information to the Indonesian National Police Chief and Staff about the role of  Pusdokkes Polri (the Indonesian Police Medical and Health Centre) in order to support the Indonesian Police operational efforts in the identification of the  Kuta Bali bomb blast victims by the formation of the Indonesian  Disaster Victim Identification Operation Team for Kuta Bali. The goal of this report is to be used as reference for further consideration of the Chief and Staff in  policy making regarding  the responsibility of the Indonesian DVI Team in the future as well as efforts in the development of Indonesian Police Medicine in supporting the operational police duties .

KombesPol Dr Eddy Saparwoko (2nd right) during Coordination and discussions with the Chief of the Investigation Team, Irjen Pol. I Made Mangku Pastika

The identification procedures were carried out everyday since 13 October 2002 from 08.00 s/d 18.00 WITA (Central Indonesian Time at Sanglah General Hospital, Denpasar, Bali.

Those involved in the DVI Operation

The identification were carried out by the Indonesian DVI Team which members were came from various institutions with full support from the Indonesian Police Centre for Medical and Health Service (Pusdokkes Polri)  colaborated with the other institutions:

a. Pusdokkes Polri
b. Disdokkes Polda Metro Jaya
c. Disdokkes Polda Jateng
d. Disdokkes Polda Jatim
e. Disdokkes Polda Bali
f.  Disdokkes Polda Sulsel
g. Depkes RI

Sr Supt Dr Eddy Saparwoko (the Chairman of the Indonesian DVI Team/ Wadirdokkes Polri - 2nd right), Sr Supt Dr Slamet Purnomo (the Head of Central Java Police Medical and Health Servc - 3rd right), and Dr Hilton from Australia (most right) examined one of the victims.

The Identification operation were carried out by experts from various countries that had DVI Teams Kegiatan identifikasi dilaksanakan oleh personil dari beberapa negara yang memiliki Tim DVI dengan membentuk beberapa unit, yaitu :

a. Ante Mortem Unit.
b. Post Mortem Unit.
c. Matching Unit.
d. Reconsiliation Comission Unit.
e. Body Release Admin Unit.
f.  Supporting Unit.

The Methods used for the Identification Procedures were:

a. Simple - Visual, Victims Properties, Clothing, ID Cards.
b. Results of the above simple methods then confirmed with Scientific Methods such as: Fingerprints, Dental data, Medical data, Serology and DNA.

This procedures done using the procedures and forms of DVI Interpol which is the internationally acknowledged standard. (see Procedures Chart [English] [Indonesian] )

The total numbers of fatalities were 202 persons which consisted of various nationalities and which were reported as missing, they were: Indonesians, Australians (highest number), Dutch, Denmark, Japanese, Taiwanese, Koreans, British, Americans, etc.

In short, what had been done in this operation were:

a. Formation of DVI Team of Legian Kuta Bali Case which were a collaboration of Indonesian Team and personnels from various friendly countries.
b. This worked amazingly solid and concentrated on the accuration of identification and the identification procedures were done using the international standard (Interpol's).

There were several constrains faced by the Team :

a. The traditional Balinese community were against the presence of the bodies in the Hospital for a long time, they wanted the bodies to be cremated or burried within a short time.

b. The identification procedures needed accuracy while the conditions of the bodies were heavily burnt, so that it was impossible to shortened the time.

c. Bodies decomposition continued and it caused effects such as the occurence of the bad smell and being the source of diseases.

d.  Even though the ante mortem data collected were very helpful, the process of the collection was not fast enough.

Sr Supt Dr. Musaddeq Ishaq, DFM, (the Head of East Java Police Medical and Health Servc - left) took part in the discussions and more discussions on the process of identifying the heavily burnt bodies.