Does the UK need a Human Taphonomy Facility?

Abstract: Human Taphonomy Facilities (HTFs) are outdoor laboratories
where scientific research is carried out on donated human cadavers in
order to understand how human decomposition progresses in a variety of
conditions. There are currently eight such facilities in the USA, one in
Australia and one on mainland Europe. Forensic scientists in the UK have
started to ask the question 'Does the UK need a Human Taphonomy
Facility?'. A review of the literature produced by the existing HTFs, as
well as published opinion and commentaries about these facilities and the
feasibility of one in the UK has been undertaken. The existing arguments
for and against the establishment of a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK
have been examined. Given recent media interest in the possibility of the
establishment of a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK, and the
surrounding controversy, it is important to evaluate the potential
benefit or harm of the creation of such a facility to Society and the
scientific community.