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4 digitised images (6 objects)
The items in this collection were seized by the gendarmerie in 1968 from a private individual in Liège (PV no. 1214 of 29 June 1968) and were registered by the police under the same reference number as the police report on the fraud case. The items were kept at the laboratory of the Liège Judicial Police until 29 April 2021 when they were transferred to the Liège department of the State Archives of Belgium. Laurence Druez, scientific collaborator of the department, donated the original objects to Kazerne Dossin on 11 May 2021.
Objects alledgedly made from human tissue confiscated by the Police judiciaire de Liège - Police scientifique in a post-war fraud case. Collection
No further accruals are to be expected.
This collection consists of a lamp with a lampshade, alledgedly made from human skin, and a box with a clasp containing 4 pieces of soap, rumoured to have been made from human fat, confiscated during investigations by the Police judiciaire de Liège - Police scientifique into a fraud case against J.G. in Liège in 1968.
The lamp consists of a copper plated metal lamp base with traces of abrasion, very damaged brown wiring and an octagonal skin lampshade mounted on a metal frame. The top of the lamp is missing. Two labels are tied to the foot of the lamp. The first one indicates case number n° 926/68, the second one reads:"Gendarmerie - B.S.R. - 47 Rue St-Léonard - Liège. Un lampadaire avec étiquette (peau humaine). Saisie en cause [J.G.] - Tromperie qualité chose vendue. P.V. n° 1214 du 29/6-1968 - B.S.R. Lièg" [Gendarmerie - B.S.R. - 47 St-Léonardstreet - Liège. A lamp post with label (human skin). Seizure in the case against [J.G.] - Fraud charges. P.V. n° 1214 of 29/6-1968 - B.S.R. (Special Research Brigade) Lièg". According to the forensic laboratory's analysis, the DNA in the skin of the lampshade is too altered to determine whether it is human or animal skin. The box is covered in imitation leather, and has a satin interior with a tear at the hinge. It contains 4 pieces of soap: the first piece is brown and bears the inscription"RIF 008", the second is plain white, the third piece of soap is broken into two. A sewing needle with a brown thread sticks out of one of these pieces. Measurements of the objects: lamp: H: 48 cm, W: 42 cm box with a clasp: B: 13cm, W: 14cm, H: 2 cm
Digital copy available as collection KD_00629 at Kazerne Dossin