Forensic medicine is a branch of applied medicine that serves to establish the truth and uphold the law. Forensic medicine is not a healing discipline. Forensic medicine is a specific form of science with an additional range of tasks – it is a combination of medical, scientific and legal knowledge.
As an independent authority, forensic medicine is responsible for establishing the link between medical facts and legal issues, thus making a decisive contribution to the investigation of crimes.
The work of forensic experts, who are sworn and certified by the Public Prosecution Service and the courts, is of great importance.
There are four Institutes/Centers for Forensic Medicine (IFM/CFM) in Austria, located in Vienna, Salzburg - Linz, Graz and Innsbruck, which cover the areas shown in the map below:
