Forensic genetics has been crucial during the entire process for truth and justice in Argentina, even more so following Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo’s efforts to develop a method that could be used to identify grandchildren, the so-called ‘Grandparenthood Index’. Since 1992, DNA analyses have been used to identify the remains of disappeared persons found in cemeteries and mass graves across the country. These identifications facilitate the return of corpses to their families. Moreover, they are critical evidence in trials for crimes committed nationwide. Sometimes, the two uses of forensic genetics intersect. As an example, it helped the son that Liliana Pereyra gave birth to while captive at ESMA detention center in 1978 to finally recover his identity in 2008.
Other scientific specialty areas are also significant in criminal proceedings. For instance, forensic physics played a critical role in the reconstruction of the so-called massacre of Trelew.