Serious Crimes Unit
Encyclopedia
The Serious Crimes Unit was the official title given to an elite
unit of International Police
investigator
s during the United Nations
1999 to 2004 mission in East Timor
.
The unit ultimately took over the investigation of Human Rights
violations alleged to have been committed in East Timor by Indonesia
n and pro-Indonesian military forces during 1999, from the UN Mandate that began in February, 1999.
Many of the cases that were eventually handled by this unit included cases previously overseen by the UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
. One member of that squad of investigators, Karl Clark
, played an intricate part in the Serious Crimes Unit investigations, and its eventual prosecution of war crimes suspects.
From 20 May 2002 it was part of the United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor
and was scheduled to complete its investigations by the end of the year, after which it would continue to provide assistance to prosecutors. At the end of the UNMISET mandate the Serious Crimes Unit was to preserve a complete copy of its records.
For part of its time the office was under-staffed, and in 2006 there was a wave of looting which destroyed some of the evidence against high Indonesian officials and scattered forensic evidence (human body parts) over the ground.
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
unit of International Police
International Police
The International Police is the title used for an organization of police officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn...
investigator
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
s during the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
1999 to 2004 mission in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
The unit ultimately took over the investigation of Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations alleged to have been committed in East Timor by Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n and pro-Indonesian military forces during 1999, from the UN Mandate that began in February, 1999.
Many of the cases that were eventually handled by this unit included cases previously overseen by the UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
The UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment was the common title for an elite investigative unit created in the war torn and newly liberated country of East Timor in November 1999, under the direction of the United Nations mission in East Timor, consisting of International Police, Australian Military Police...
. One member of that squad of investigators, Karl Clark
Karl Clark
Osby Karl Clark, or Karl Clark is an American police officer from North Carolina, and a former police chief, best known for his service on international assignments with the International Police...
, played an intricate part in the Serious Crimes Unit investigations, and its eventual prosecution of war crimes suspects.
From 20 May 2002 it was part of the United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor
United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor
The United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor was established on 20 May 2002, the same day which East Timor became an internationally recognized independent state and the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor came to an end.Military and police forces from contributing...
and was scheduled to complete its investigations by the end of the year, after which it would continue to provide assistance to prosecutors. At the end of the UNMISET mandate the Serious Crimes Unit was to preserve a complete copy of its records.
For part of its time the office was under-staffed, and in 2006 there was a wave of looting which destroyed some of the evidence against high Indonesian officials and scattered forensic evidence (human body parts) over the ground.