For NHS radiographer Elizabeth McSorley, volunteering for the grim task of identifying victims of the Srebrenica genocide also meant collecting evidence for trial.
The Glasgow-based X-ray specialist played a vital role alongside professionals from all over the world who helped convict Ratko Mladic, Butcher of Bosnia, sentenced to life in prison for his role in the murder of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serbs.
Srebrenica Genocide: Scots who worked to identify ethnic cleansing victims
She was part of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia forensic team who helped uncover the 1995 atrocity.
Ms McSorley said the victims seemed countless: "There were thousands.
"I couldn’t tell you how many there were but there was a lot.
"They came from all the different mass graves.
"What happened was they were put into one grave and then they were put somewhere else and then somewhere else."
The X-rays revealed a similar story with many victims.
Blindfolded victims bussed to killing fields by Butcher of Bosnia - UN forensic team
"There were bullets all over the body, some in the chest, some in the feet some in the skull, but some of these could’ve passed through someone else.
"There was money hidden within the clothing, there was jewellery that you wouldn't see and find them on X-rays and that could be used to identify somebody.
"We would screen a body in conjunction with pathologists and we would record anything unusual.
"Then the body would be taken into the autopsy room and a full post mortem would be done."
Read more: Butcher of Bosnia guilty of genocide
She said: "It was very difficult but there was a reason why I did it.
"I was able to use my skill and put it to good use and help somebody and at the end of it all, obviously it has taken a long time to get this verdict but some people might have closure from it, to say that the people who perpetrated this action have been penalised for it.
"I was just doing a job, so it’s not up to me to be a judge.
"It sends a message out to other leaders that certain things are unacceptable to do."
It brought experience and a camaraderie the kind of which is found in such adversity. "I found a lot of great friends through the process.
"It enabled me to find out that I can deal with things that I’d never have thought I could deal with."
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