Day 1

We arrived in the early morning in Prague, made ourselves some breakfast in the hostel, and were off to our first activity of the day: an introduction with the Institute of Forensic Sciences Prague (IFSP). They arranged a very interesting program during the trip for us, with multiple lectures and excursions. JUDr. Hrdlickova explained the structure of the Czech Judicial System to us to get familiar with the system there before we were off to our first excursion. Not before getting some coffee though. In the afternoon, we went to the police museum where we first got a talk about the history of the building and museum before volunteers showed us around historical artifacts and interesting forensic cases from Prague! The day ended with a pizza dinner at the hostel, after which some students went to explore the city or got a pint or two at one of the many bars!

Day 2

The next day we were divided into three groups. Some had an early start to visit the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Hlavuv ustav, while others got to sleep in a bit longer. In the lab, they process many samples taken for people charged with drinking under the influence, as well as some drug cases.

Next, some went to the Hrdlicka museum, where they were given a guided tour around the anthropological museum. They got to see multiple examples of pathological and temporal effects on bone growth, and some very old mummies. The other group got to visit the detention center of Prague, where they got a tour of the prison’s grounds, hallways, and activity room. Some even got locked up in a cell (temporarily luckily!).

In the afternoon, the excursion committee planned a Crazy 88 scavenger hunt throughout the city. In small groups, everyone, including management, got to see the main city sites and try the local delicacies of Prague while completing assignments from the list! Very fun! Also, for the Excursion Committee who had to approve the submissions. The last stop of the hunt was at a restaurant which opened especially for us and where we enjoyed an intimate and delicious vegetarian dinner! In the evening, everyone was off enjoying the nightlife of Prague or chilling in the hostel!

Day 3

For the last activity of the trip, we went back to the same lecture hall as the first day. The IFSP had prepared three more lectures for us, including the new regulation of expert activities in the Czech Republic (Dr. Závora), the interdisciplinary project of speaker identification (Mgr. Skořepa) and the falsity of expert opinion in the decision-making practice of courts in the Czech Republic (Mgr. Nováková). After saying goodbye to the staff of the IFSP, we had the afternoon off to explore the city and get some souvenirs. In the evening, our bus driver picked us up to make our way back to Amsterdam to arrive early the next morning!

We really enjoyed planning this trip. We were very happy to organize such an extensive forensic program to get a grasp of a different forensic field than in the Netherlands. It was really fun to see all the first years getting to know each other even better! We want to thank the IFSP, the guest speakers and everyone else who made this trip a success. We want to give a special thanks to Bohdana, our contact from Prague, for helping us organize the forensic program of the trip! In addition, we want to thank the MFS staff, particularly Stella, for all the help and support!

The Excursion committee 2023,

Andreea, Bram, Elvire and Marre