Silke Grabherr

I’m a coroner, which means that I’m commissioned by the justice department to examine the bodies – dead and alive – of victims and people suspected of committing a crime. I’m currently director of the University Centre of Legal Medicine. The centre operates out of several sites and has a staff of around 220 across French-speaking Switzerland. The team covers more than 50 professions across 12 different units.

My passion. As a coroner, my job is to search for answers to help solve crimes. It’s quite a varied job, and it requires a lot of spontaneity. My work as director is very interesting, and I get to meet a lot of people and come up with compelling strategies.

My career path. I worked very hard for many years to get where I am. I helped to develop a technology thought to be impossible, and that earned me national and international recognition from my peers. I also have very supportive friends and colleagues.

A downside or obstacle ? No, most coroners are women. It’s fascinating work, but it doesn’t leave much time for a private life.

I’m proud that I’ve been able to develop the centre in the three years that I’ve been at the helm, and that we have a good work atmosphere among colleagues. I’m also proud that postmortem angiography, the method I was able to develop over several years with my team, is becoming more widespread. It’s a major development for forensic medicine. My strong points are my tenacity, my endurance and my love for my work.