Policeman's grim duty at scene of unspeakable global tragedies

FORENSIC: Taupo Senior Constable Barry Shepherd helped identify Malaysia Airlines crash victims. PHOTO/FILE

A Taupo policeman who helped identify the bodies from the Malaysia Airlines crash over the Ukraine says the work was at the core of policing.

Senior Constable Barry Shepherd was among a six -member police disaster victim identification team which returned to New Zealand this week.

The team flew out to the Netherlands to help identify victims within a week of the crash in July which killed 290 people.

Mr Shepherd said the harrowing work was about working for the victims and their families.

"It is at the heart of police work," he said yesterday.

Mr Shepherd has been involved in a number of post-disaster victim identification operations including the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, and 2010 Christchurch earthquakes.

"We are involved in the reconciliation stage, matching missing people with forensic records, and physical evidence such as clothes and jewellery from the mortuary."

The New Zealand team, working in two three-week rotations, helped identify 183 victims from their base at Korporaal van Oudheusden barracks, Hilversum, with experts from the Netherlands, Germany, USA, Britain, Malaysia, Indonesia, Belgium and Canada.

Commander Inspector Mike Wright, of Police National Headquarters, said there was little doubt New Zealand would answer the call for help.

"Our expertise is internationally acknowledged," he said.

An offer to the Dutch government and police commissioner was accepted and an approach was made to Australia scoping a combined mission within 48 hours, he said.

The New Zealand team included Mr Wright, Mr Shepherd, Senior Constable Al Hendrickson (Blenheim), Inspector Geoff Logan (PNHQ), Senior Sergeant Steve Harwood (Hutt Valley) and Sergeant Karl Wilson (Auckland).

At Hilversum they met up with Dutch DVI commander, Arie de Bruijn, a colleague from the 2004 tsunami, a relationship which benefited both parties and underpinned the teamwork involved in DVI, Mr Wright said.

"I was able to identify issues that Arie was confronted with. I was able to say to him on a couple of occasions 'I've experienced this'."

Also on the team were forensic pathologists, dentists, mortuary staff, and police as well as Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff.

The workers were motivated by a desire to help grieving families and determination to treat victims with the utmost respect and dignity, he said.