The Scientific and Cultural Uses of Sealed Evidence

Abstract

Abstract: The collections of the future Museum and Memorial of Terrorism (MMT)are mainly made up of court evidence from cases of terrorism that have been definitively judged. Thanks to a partnership with the Parisian courts of justice competent to judge the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, over 1,200 items have already been handed over. This flow will continue over the coming months until the MMT opens in 2027. Seized as evidence to establish the truth during the criminal investigation and confiscated during the trial, the seals were to be destroyed as they were no longer useful for judicial purposes. The Museum and Memorial du Terrorisme (MMT) gives them a new lease of life as part of an unprecedented heritage initiative. The MMT aims to retrace the history of terrorism over the last fifty years. This period has been punctuated by numerous trials (in the last four years, 78 criminal cases have been tried). Serving as a source of inspiration for researchers and even artists, the scientific and cultural uses of judicial seals are proving to be a fascinating exploration of their unsuspected richness.