A forensic expert of Belgian origin, Professor Blombé Frédéric testified on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 before the judges in the Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Forensic medical professor, Blombé Frédéric, a national of Belgium, was called to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, December 6, in the Gbagbo and Blé Goudé trial.

To the various parties, Professsor Blombé gave details of his action in Côte d’Ivoire where he was sent in September 2013 at the request of the Office of the Prosecutor. At the time, the expert’s task was to examine certain people presented as victims of post-election violence. This was an integral part of the investigations conducted by Fatou Bensouda’s teams.

In Judge Cuno Tarfusser’s court, the expert said he had examined several victims of “post-traumatic syndrome.” The Belgian professor also indicated to the court that he produced various reports on “the incapacity of work-related victims and the economic consequences.”

The prosecution witness, who during his visit to Abidjan, examined a dozen people sent to him by the Office of the Prosecutor, said he reported on “the civil consequences of the criminal offense.”

The expert’s reports are all classified as confidential.

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Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé are charged with four counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, and other inhumane acts, or – in the alternative – attempted murder and persecution. The accused allegedly committed these crimes during post-electoral violence in Côte d’Ivoire between December 16, 2010 and April 12, 2011.

This summary comes from Ivoire Justice, which offers monitoring and commentary on the ICC’s proceedings arising from the post-election violence that occurred in Cote d’Ivoire in 2010-2011. It has been translated into English for use on International Justice Monitor.