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French Speaking Working Group

The French Speaking Working Group (FSWG) of the ISFG consists of more than 20 laboratories from Belgium, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Morocco, Switzerland and Quebec (Canada). The group meets once a year to present and discuss the results of the collaborative exercise, to provide continuous education to the members and to share information on interesting cases and issues of concern.

Objectives

01
To continue the collaborative exercises
02
To consider the problems related to the future accreditation of the laboratories (ISO 17025)
03
To exchange information about casework experience
04
To make recommendations for the French-speaking forensic community

Registration of members

To register for FSWG of the ISFG, please contact the secretary of the group, Lydie Samie (contact information below).

Future planned meetings

2026: To be announced.

Past Meetings

At first, FSWG was meeting to present the proficiency test results only half a day yearly. In 2005, the group extended the meeting to 2-3 days sessions, for proficiency test results as well as for scientific presentations. This group dispense now an active scientific discussion platform to the French community.

  • 32nd meeting: Cergy Pontoise (France), May 20-23, 2025, On site meeting hosted by the Institute of Criminal Research of the National Police (IRCGN).
    • The best presentation was awarded to Emilie SIMON from the Laboratory of Luxembourg, on Spidermass, a medical tool that could be used in forensic. Professor Christophe Champod, from the School of criminal justice, University of Lausanne, was invited to provide a workshop on evaluation of DNA results considering activities at Court.“
  • 31st meeting: Marseille (France), May 14-17, 2024, On site meeting hosted by the Forensic Science Laboratory in the French Police (LPS) of Marseille (France).
    • The best presentation was awarded to Alain STEVANOVITCH from the LPS in Marseille, on the identification of missing soldiers using a collaborative approach.
  • 30th meeting: Montréal - On site meeting hosted by Diane Seguin, Chief department of forensic biology/DNA, LSJML (Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires) of Montréal, June 26th to June 30th, 2023.
    • There was a lot of discussion about how the different laboratories work. Isabelle Bachand, from the LSJML, won the scientific award for her work "Genetic genealogy: the approach of the LSJML".
  • 29th meeting: Luxembourg - On site meeting hosted by Dr Elisabet Petkovsky, Chief department of forensic biology, LNS (Laboratoire National de Santé du Luxembourg), May 31th to June 3rd, 2022.
    • Sandrine Durieux, from the SNPS Marseille, won the scientific award for her work "Filiation/kinship, haplotype Y, probabilistic evaluation".
  • 28th meeting: Luxembourg - virtual meeting, May 17-20, 2021
  • 2020
    • The 2020 scientific meeting of the FSWG, programmed to be held in Montréal (Québec, Canada), has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 27th meeting: Brussels (Belgium), June 4-7, 2019
    • A 4-day meeting with a half-day workshop on Baysien networks by Prof. Christophe Champod and Franco Taroni.
  • 26th meeting: Chania (Crete, Greece), June 27-29, 2018
    • A half day workshop on LR (Likelihood Ratio) and interpretation given by Jennifer Comte and Dr. Vincent Castella, UGF Lausanne.
  • 25th meeting: Pontoise (Paris, France), May 30 - June 2, 2017
  • 24th meeting: Predore (Italy), May 31- June 3, 2016
    • Professors Christophe Champod and Franco Taroni animated round tables on subjects such as Population studies, Hierarchy of propositions, LR uses and Report statements.
  • 23rd meeting: Lausanne (Switzerland), May 19-22, 2015
    • Professors Christophe Champod and Franco Taroni, from the School of criminal justice, University of Lausanne, provided training on DNA mixture’s interpretation and trial simulations.
  • 22nd meeting: Skhirat (Morocco), May 12-15, 2014
  • 21st meeting: Namur (Belgium), May 29-31, 2013
  • 20th meeting: Montréal (Québec, Canada), June 27-29, 2012
  • 19th meeting: Marseille (France), May 25-26, 2011
  • 18th meeting: Bordeaux (France), May 20-21, 2010
  • 17th meeting: Liège (Belgium), May 13-14, 2009
  • 16th meeting: Montréal (Québec, Canada), June 26-27, 2008
  • 15th meeting: Nantes (France), May 2007
  • 14th meeting: Strasbourg (France), May 2006
  • 13th meeting: Montréal (Québec, Canada), June 2005

Executive Board

President

Lydie Samie

Unité de génétique forensique

Ch. de la Vulliette 4 1000 Lausanne Suisse

📞 Tel : (+41) 21 314 78 80 | Mobile : (+41) 79 556 51 48

✉️ lydie.samie-foucart@chuv.ch

Secretary

Jennifer Comte

LSJML

1701, rue Parthenais, 12e étage Montréal (Québec) H2K 3S7 Canada

📞 (+1) 514 873-3301 poste 61564

✉️ jennifer.comte@msp.gouv.qc.ca

Treasurer

Moïse Menevret

LNS - Service Identification Génétique

Rue Louis Rech 1 Dudelange 3555 Luxembourg

📞 +33 6 26 46 65 35

✉️ moise.menevret@lns.etat.lu