Supporting EPAF’s Humanitarian Work
About EPAF
The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) was established in 1997 and formally incorporated as a nonprofit civil association in 2001. EPAF applies forensic anthropology to the search for victims of enforced disappearance during Peru’s internal armed conflict (1980–2000). Initially,
EPAF collaborated with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2001–2002), providing training in ante mortem data collection and contributing methodological protocols to international colleagues. Since then, its members have served both as expert witnesses for families of the disappeared, often representing human rights organizations, and as official experts for state institutions, such as the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary.
EPAF is a member of the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos and collaborates with numerous human rights organizations, including APRODEH, CEAS, IDL, ANFASEP, and others.
Its work encompasses the production of 17 publications on forensic anthropology, disappearance, and historical memory, and it has also developed nearly 50 national and international workshops that emphasize the right of families to the truth of past atrocities.
EPAF’s professional presence spans 15 countries across Latin America, North America, Africa, and Asia, positioning it as a key actor in the global dissemination of forensic expertise and memory practices in contexts of political violence.
Why now?
Direct relatives and eyewitnesses are aging—some are losing memory or passing away. Capturing their testimonies now is essential to future identifications and dignified returns.
What does your support fund?
We are establishing a monthly budget to keep EPAF teams in the field, collecting Antemortem Information Forms (FAM)—structured interviews that record family testimony, descriptions, clothing, distinguishing features, and case details used by forensic experts to identify victims.
Monthly budget (PEN):
S/ 5,000 — Honoraria (2 trained collectors)
S/ 1,400 — Transportation to reach families and witnesses
S/ 300 — Printing of FAM packets and materials
Total: S/ 6,700 (US$1,800–2,000; buffer to US$2,500 for fees/contingencies)
Why FAM matters
(the forensic backbone)
Part of the preliminary forensic investigation, which collects and systematizes information on crimes against humanity (e.g., Forced Disappearance, Extrajudicial Execution).
Helps reconstruct the historical, biological, social, and judicial profile of each case: what happened, where, when, how, and who was involved.
In the case of Forced Disappearance (a non-linear pattern), the victim may be detained, moved, executed, and buried in different locations, making FAM indispensable for connecting the dots.
FAM data support later comparisons with exhumed remains (age, stature, injuries, clothing, and unique features) to facilitate identification.
Records are delivered to competent authorities (e.g., Prosecutor’s Office, National Directorate for the Search of Disappeared Persons – DGBPD) to advance truth and justice.
Where EPAFs team works first
Urban and peri-urban areas (e.g., Lima’s peripheral districts and regional capitals such as Ica and Huamanga), where many displaced families and eyewitnesses settled.
Your impact
Keeps two field collectors active each month.
Reaches hard-to-access communities to document testimonies.
Safeguards evidence for future identifications and dignified returns.
Public programs & outreach: Co-organize Memory & Education Nights with EPAF, run a traveling mini-exhibit on memory practices, and set up pop-up info tables to reach families and educators.
Ways to help
Donate · Sponsor a month · Host a talk/workshop · Share the campaign · Partner with us