Forgotten Women in Mass Crime

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Why is violence against women and girls are so frequently forgotten or "silenced" in mass crimes and genocide? Why are acts of violence against women and girls so frequently obliterated from the Holocaust narrative? From the Roma genocide narrative? From Guatemala's mass violence history? From ISIS' terrorist narrative before the courts of law? From news emerging from Ukraine? Do ground investigations have the capacity to reveal the crimes against women, or are they choosing not to? This course will investigate these questions, especially taking into account the field investigations of Fr. Patrick Desbois and his team. Students will learn how to conduct forensic investigations of violence against women in the scope of genocide and mass crimes.The course is co-taught by Fr. Desbois, a forensic anthropologist and author of The Holocaust by Bullets and The Terrorist Factory and Dr. Andrej Umansky, a historian and lawyer will teach during this class. It will include mid-term and final exams. Class participation and preparation are essential. Course also listed as MSFS 6610 and JCIV 4500 .