Training Program Overview

The Attorney General of Mexico City (FGJCDMX), through its Institute for Vocational Training and Higher Studies (IFPES), recently completed a 45-hour seminar in Forensic Medicine focused on the crime of violation (sexual assault). The training, delivered virtually over 14 sessions, aimed to enhance the skills of personnel in evidence collection and expert report readiness, incorporating a gender perspective and human rights framework. Fifty-five public servants from the General Coordination of Forensic Research and Expert Services participated.

This initiative is part of the FGJCDMX’s Comprehensive Continuous Training Program, designed to professionalize justice procurement staff. According to Jorge Adrián Gómez Carreño, general coordinator of IFPES, the program is developed in coordination with substantive areas of the CDMX Prosecutor’s Office to meet diverse training needs and align with the management’s Criminal Policy Plan.

Curriculum and Key topics

The seminar’s curriculum, led by specialists in gender perspective, criminal law, forensic medicine, and criminalistics, was structured around six modules. Key topics included:

• Foundations of human rights and gender perspective
• Legal frameworks surrounding sexual crimes
• Classification of injuries
• Strategies for biological evidence collection (e.g., biological fluids)
• Proper elaboration of forensic expert opinions

The program emphasizes updating technical knowledge and addressing areas for improvement in institutional practice. IFPES aims to equip specialists with current resources and best practices to improve the quality of service provided to citizens.

Focus on Gender and Human rights

A core component of the training is the integration of a gender and intersectional approach to the investigation of sexual crimes. This includes sensitizing personnel to the identification, collection, preservation, and analysis of relevant evidence, acknowledging the complexities of gender-based violence. The FGJCDMX states this training reinforces its commitment to professionalizing its personnel and strengthening the pursuit of justice through rigorous,human rights-focused expert analysis.