* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    3 Arts Entertainment Expands Into News With Acquisition of OManagement (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter

    3 Arts Entertainment Expands Into News With Acquisition of OManagement (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter

    Leading Proxy Advisory Firm Glass Lewis Recommends Shareholders Vote “FOR” Both of PENN Entertainment’s Director Nominees on the WHITE Proxy Card – Business Wire

    Glass Lewis Urges Shareholders to Support All PENN Entertainment Director Nominees on the WHITE Proxy Card

    Cisco Partners with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to Power New D.C. Arena – Cisco Newsroom

    Cisco Teams Up with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to Revolutionize the New D.C. Arena Experience

    Middle Eastern Entertainment Headlines at 5:49 a.m. GMT – Yahoo

    Exciting Updates from the Middle Eastern Entertainment Scene!

    Ceramic Dalmatian Entertainment is WLAF’s Business of the Week – WLAF

    Spotlight on Success: Ceramic Dalmatian Entertainment Shines as This Week’s Featured Business!

    Brass Lion Entertainment unveils co-op action RPG Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver – VentureBeat

    Unleash Your Inner Warrior: Discover the Co-Op Action RPG Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Russian Scientists Develop Sub-Ångström Technology for Next-Gen Quantum Processors – The Quantum Insider

    Russian Scientists Pioneer Sub-Ångström Technology to Revolutionize Next-Gen Quantum Processors

    Study uncovers SiPore Technology’s capacity to regulate blood glucose levels – Nutraceutical Business Review

    Study uncovers SiPore Technology’s capacity to regulate blood glucose levels – Nutraceutical Business Review

    SunHydrogen Unveils Large Hydrogen Reactor in Houston – Fuel Cells Works

    SunHydrogen Launches Groundbreaking Large-Scale Hydrogen Reactor in Houston

    Technology, Labor Rights, and Political Power in Kenya and Across Africa – Tech Policy Press

    How Technology is Shaping Labor Rights and Political Power Across Africa

    Reeves to Announce £86 Billion for Science and Technology in Spending Review – Bloomberg

    Reeves Set to Unveil Groundbreaking £86 Billion Investment in Science and Technology!

    Innovation at Scale: How P&G Transforms Business Through Technology – Procter & Gamble

    Revolutionizing Business: P&G’s Bold Journey into Technological Innovation

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    3 Arts Entertainment Expands Into News With Acquisition of OManagement (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter

    3 Arts Entertainment Expands Into News With Acquisition of OManagement (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter

    Leading Proxy Advisory Firm Glass Lewis Recommends Shareholders Vote “FOR” Both of PENN Entertainment’s Director Nominees on the WHITE Proxy Card – Business Wire

    Glass Lewis Urges Shareholders to Support All PENN Entertainment Director Nominees on the WHITE Proxy Card

    Cisco Partners with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to Power New D.C. Arena – Cisco Newsroom

    Cisco Teams Up with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to Revolutionize the New D.C. Arena Experience

    Middle Eastern Entertainment Headlines at 5:49 a.m. GMT – Yahoo

    Exciting Updates from the Middle Eastern Entertainment Scene!

    Ceramic Dalmatian Entertainment is WLAF’s Business of the Week – WLAF

    Spotlight on Success: Ceramic Dalmatian Entertainment Shines as This Week’s Featured Business!

    Brass Lion Entertainment unveils co-op action RPG Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver – VentureBeat

    Unleash Your Inner Warrior: Discover the Co-Op Action RPG Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Russian Scientists Develop Sub-Ångström Technology for Next-Gen Quantum Processors – The Quantum Insider

    Russian Scientists Pioneer Sub-Ångström Technology to Revolutionize Next-Gen Quantum Processors

    Study uncovers SiPore Technology’s capacity to regulate blood glucose levels – Nutraceutical Business Review

    Study uncovers SiPore Technology’s capacity to regulate blood glucose levels – Nutraceutical Business Review

    SunHydrogen Unveils Large Hydrogen Reactor in Houston – Fuel Cells Works

    SunHydrogen Launches Groundbreaking Large-Scale Hydrogen Reactor in Houston

    Technology, Labor Rights, and Political Power in Kenya and Across Africa – Tech Policy Press

    How Technology is Shaping Labor Rights and Political Power Across Africa

    Reeves to Announce £86 Billion for Science and Technology in Spending Review – Bloomberg

    Reeves Set to Unveil Groundbreaking £86 Billion Investment in Science and Technology!

    Innovation at Scale: How P&G Transforms Business Through Technology – Procter & Gamble

    Revolutionizing Business: P&G’s Bold Journey into Technological Innovation

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Business

BLOOD HAS A VOICE: Tales from the autopsy table – Dr Hestelle van Staden

October 16, 2023
in Business
BLOOD HAS A VOICE: Tales from the autopsy table – Dr Hestelle van Staden
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Blood has a voice.  That is the title of a book written by one of South Africa’s top forensic pathologists, Dr. Hestelle van Staden, who has conducted thousands of autopsies – and is one of between only 60 and 70 qualified specialist forensic pathologists in the country. As such she is often the last voice of a deceased person, a victim’s only chance for justice, a family’s only hope for answers. And in this interview with BizNews, she speaks about how the dead speak to her. Dr van Staden, whose expert testimony in court could mean the difference between a guilty verdict and an acquittal, also details “the most harrowing case” she has been involved in; reveals how a person who is found hanged in an apparent suicide can “tell” her that he or she was in fact murdered; and explains why a person found with a gunshot wound and gunshot residue on his hand, may not have committed suicide. “…you simply cannot assume that what you are seeing is exactly what is there,” she says. – Chris Steyn

Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.

Watch here

Relevant timestamps from the interview

00:00 – Introductions
00:48 – Dr Hestelle van Staden on indicators of a framed suicide
03:07 – Dr van Staden on cases of framed suicide that she has worked on
03:47 – On the autopsy process
05:52 – On the indicators of a ‘crime of passion’
08:48 – How many autopsies she has conducted
10:12 – On testifying in court
13:26 – On being driven by justice and truth
14:24 – One case she will never forget
17:22 – On the number of forensic pathologists in SA
19:38 – Advice for people seeking a quality post-mortem for a loved one
20:36 – Concludes

Listen here

Highlights from the interview

Blood has a voice. 

That is the title of a book written by one of South Africa’s top forensic pathologists, Dr. Hestelle van Staden, who has conducted over 7 000 autopsies. 

She is often the last voice of a deceased person, a victim’s only chance for justice, a family’s only hope for answers.

And in this interview with BizNews, she speaks about how the dead speak to her.

She reveals how a person who is found hanged in an apparent suicide can “tell” her that he or she was in fact murdered.

“Most people are not able to hang somebody else who has already died. Because if you want to basically frame a death as a suicide whilst it’s actually a murder, that person needs to be dead by the time you hang them. Or you need to physically hang them. And it’s very difficult to lift a person up, to attain that hanging stance where the person is alive because they’re going to fight you. So that person would either have to be dead or they would actually have to be incapacitated to such an extent that they cannot offer any resistance. So what we would look for is any defensive type of injuries, the position of the ligature around the neck…

“…the most recent case that’s come to mind is the Jason Rohde case…he was convicted of his wife’s murder, his wife Susan’s murder at the Spier Wine Farm a few years ago. And in that case, it was staged hanging where in fact she was murdered before.”

Dr van Staden explains why one cannot automatically assume that a person found with a gunshot wound and gunshot residue on his hand, committed suicide. 

“…you simply cannot assume that what you are seeing is exactly what is there. It would actually be plausible for somebody to hold somebody else’s, the victim’s hand, and force them to shoot themselves, which would then become a murder. And there you would expect gunshot residue on the hands. You would expect the typical findings of the suicide, such as a contact range gunshot wound or very close range gunshot wound, where it might not be exactly what it seems.”

Dr van Staden, whose expert testimony in court could mean the difference between a guilty verdict and an acquittal in court, also speaks about “the most harrowing case” she has been involved in: that of a little girl who had been raped and murdered. “And…as I sit here, I actually get goosebumps because I remember the person that was eventually arrested, and this is the most I’m going to say about him, actually immediately asked, who spilled the beans? He needs to get back at that person, you know, and there was such an evil presence surrounding all of that. 

Read more: THE KILLING FIELDS OF KZN: Political assassins killing for contracts & Municipal funds transferred at gunpoint…

“It was just such an absolutely shocking turn out to this case and there were issues that then had to be specifically elucidated in court, which is why I testified. And I think that’s a case that very clearly demonstrates how important it is for us to be able not only to record findings very exactly, but also in how we convey it.

“And that’s actually the function of a forensic pathologist, to be able to explain medical findings to laypeople in terms of medicine, because I mean, obviously judges are not laypeople, but in terms of medicine they are. That’s what we need to do. We need to assist the court to interpret medical findings. And in that case, it was of utmost importance. Otherwise, this guy might have walked.”

Instead he got a life sentence.

She is deeply concerned about the lack of highly qualified and experienced pathologists in South Africa. “At any given time, there’s only about 60 to 70 forensic pathologists, qualified specialist forensic pathologists in the country….there’s just too few of us…And unfortunately we are bleeding forensic pathologists. As soon as we qualify them, they either leave and work in private, in private other capacities, usually not as pathologists anymore, or they leave the country.”

Meanwhile Dr Van Staden – who works both for the State and in private practice, remains committed and driven to honour victims with justice. “The one thing is the justice. And the other thing is to be able to give families answers. It’s horrible answers sometimes, but at least they know that somebody has looked at their deceased loved one with care and attention and they can answer the questions.”

*All photographs of Dr Hestelle van Staden by Theana van Bruegem

Read also:

How to unlock SA’s enormous sporting talent pool: South Africa should be a “top sporting nation” in the World – Brad Bing
SA SECRETS “STOLEN”? Intelligence Committee meetings cancelled – Dianne Kohler Barnard
TERROR IN TSHWANE: Shots, stones, petrol bombs in capital city close to collapse

Visited 146 times, 146 visit(s) today

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : BizNews – https://www.biznews.com/interviews/2023/10/15/blood-has-voice-dr-hestelle-van-staden

Tags: bloodbusinessVoice
Previous Post

‎TAM signs SAR 14.8 mln contract with Tourism Authority

Next Post

TERRA LUNA Price Prediction 2023, 2024, 2025: Will LUNA Recover To $1 In 2023?

Russian Scientists Develop Sub-Ångström Technology for Next-Gen Quantum Processors – The Quantum Insider

Russian Scientists Pioneer Sub-Ångström Technology to Revolutionize Next-Gen Quantum Processors

June 11, 2025
How the Shallowing of the Caspian Sea Will Affect Kazakhstan’s Ecology and Economy – The Times Of Central Asia

The Disappearing Caspian Sea: Exploring Its Dramatic Effects on Kazakhstan’s Environment and Economy

June 10, 2025
NIH scientists call on director to protect biomedical research – NPR

NIH Scientists Call for Bold Action to Protect the Future of Biomedical Research

June 10, 2025
Commentary: Trump’s NASA cuts would destroy decades of science and wipe out its future – Los Angeles Times

How Trump’s NASA Cuts Could Derail Decades of Scientific Breakthroughs and Jeopardize Our Future

June 10, 2025

Costco Shoppers Are Loving the ‘Refreshing’ New Frozen Summer Treat That Was Just Added to the Food Court Menu – Yahoo

June 10, 2025
How a forgotten tape recorder led to Tunde Adebimpe’s debut album : World Cafe – NPR

How a forgotten tape recorder led to Tunde Adebimpe’s debut album : World Cafe – NPR

June 10, 2025
Spain’s economy to grow at steady rate, central bank predicts – Investing.com

Spain’s Economy Set for Steady Growth, Central Bank Forecasts

June 10, 2025
3 Arts Entertainment Expands Into News With Acquisition of OManagement (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter

3 Arts Entertainment Expands Into News With Acquisition of OManagement (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter

June 10, 2025

Inside US Health Secretary Kennedy’s Bold Vaccine Strategies and Game-Changing Policy Moves

June 10, 2025
A Professor Was Fired for Her Politics. Is That the Future of Academia? – The New York Times

A Professor Was Fired for Her Politics. Is That the Future of Academia? – The New York Times

June 10, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (680)
  • Economy (694)
  • Entertainment (21,599)
  • General (15,314)
  • Health (9,736)
  • Lifestyle (698)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (695)
  • Politics (701)
  • Science (15,912)
  • Sports (21,196)
  • Technology (15,681)
  • World (679)

Recent News

Russian Scientists Develop Sub-Ångström Technology for Next-Gen Quantum Processors – The Quantum Insider

Russian Scientists Pioneer Sub-Ångström Technology to Revolutionize Next-Gen Quantum Processors

June 11, 2025
How the Shallowing of the Caspian Sea Will Affect Kazakhstan’s Ecology and Economy – The Times Of Central Asia

The Disappearing Caspian Sea: Exploring Its Dramatic Effects on Kazakhstan’s Environment and Economy

June 10, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version