An integrated multidisciplinary approach to resolve long-standing unidentified human skeletal remains in Cyprus.

The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) is a bicommunal committee established in 1981, tasked to determine the fate of 2002 individuals who went missing during the intercommunal fighting of 1963-64 and the events of 1974. The CMP operates strictly within a humanitarian framework, using a multidisciplinary approach to conclude individual identifications of remains exhumed throughout the island, where all information obtained from different phases of the CMP Project is integrated and assessed in a comprehensive manner. By 2017, although over 1000 sets of remains were recovered and either identified or resolved by the CMP, 137 challenging cases remained unidentified at the CMP Anthropological Laboratory. To resolve these cases, different strategies were adopted where the investigatory component was enhanced through the implementation of new data mining approaches, and the genetic-related data were revised and updated through the adoption of new DNA technologies and the improvement of the Family Reference Samples Database. These new approaches resulted in a dramatic reduction of the number of unidentified cases (by over 70 %) as well as the timeframe required for future identifications. These approaches could serve as an example in other humanitarian contexts facing similar challenges as they can have a profound impact on the families of missing persons.

Forgotten in time: The state of legislation, recovery, identification, and repatriation of World War I and II soldiers in Slovakia.

Recovery, identification, and burial of casualties from World War I and II is still a topic of interest in many countries. In Slovakia, recent discoveries of such remains are usually accidental. Unfortunately, in many cases the remains are disrupted and without any material culture present, rendering the identification of the victim almost impossible. Majority of accidental skeletal remains are analyzed by legal medical doctors at forensic medicine departments spread across ten regional workplaces around the country. The aim of the paper is to point out the problems with recovery and identification of World War I and World War II remains in Slovakia.

Identification methods of the Royal Air Force Missing Research and Enquiry Service, 1944-52.

In 1945, the British Air Ministry established the Royal Air Force (RAF) Missing Research and Enquiry Service, to trace all of the RAF's wartime overseas casualties. Although a broad range of search techniques were used to find the resting places of personnel who were either known to have been killed or listed as missing, positive identification remained largely contingent upon an exhumation of their remains. This paper explores the forensic pathology and forensics techniques known to and used by the Search Officers involved.

In search of identity: The field of forensic anthropology in Brazil-Profession and practice.

The existing divergencies in the development of forensic anthropology (FA) around the world justify an analysis of its situation in each country/region. Our objective is to report information gathered directly from professionals acting in the field of forensic anthropology in Brazil, with the aim of highlighting the challenges of the discipline and contributing to its advancement. The research consisted of personal visits in Medico-Legal Institutes (IMLs) in nine states of the country and semi-structured interviews with 16 professionals. Detailed analysis of the Results suggests the field of forensic anthropology, despite the engagement and dedication of its professionals, cannot yet be considered a well-structured discipline across the country. The academic background of professionals is highly heterogenous. The applied methods vary, and common protocol is not always followed. The demand highly exceeds the available human resources. The lack of comparative material Results in high percentage of cases remaining unsolved. Important divergences exist in terms of infrastructure and professional resources between the states. The limited cooperation between different IMLs and between different sections of the same IML-together with a general disbelief in the usefulness of anthropological examination in forensic cases-hampers FA's development. There is a great openness for scientific collaboration and an abundance of material for research. Our research demonstrated structural, political, and academic limitations that affect the FA field in Brazil. However, the expertise and dedication of professionals point to human potential as the chief strength of this discipline that supports and enables research, providing high-quality services in a challenging context.

Investigation of WWII/postwar mass burials in Croatia-The implementation of the Croatian model of searching for the imprisoned and missing persons.

The search for victims of World War Two (WWII) and the immediate aftermath period (postwar) in Croatia started together with the search for Homeland War victims in 1991. It continued through years, most often sporadically and in a non-homogenous way. It was just with the adoption of the Law on Research, Arrangement and Maintenance of Military Cemeteries, Cemeteries of Victims of WWII and Postwar Period in 2013 that the search became more structured and gained a formal governmental body responsible for the organization and supervision of the activities related to it. It was then that the well-established model of searching for Homeland War victims, based on many years of field work and research, started to be implemented in the search and analysis of WWII/postwar victims. The model represents a continuously growing and developing project which encompasses a wide variety of steps and procedures, from the investigation of alleged burial locations to the analysis and reburial of recovered mortal remains. From its implementation in 2016, it allowed the successful investigation of 1300 alleged burial locations, 484 field surveys, 42 exhumations and the recovery of remains of more than 1600 individuals. Besides, care for military cemeteries, marking of mass burial sites and arranging of international treaties are conducted in order to guarantee proper handling, relocation and repatriation of all those that perished during WWII and the postwar period.

Unidentified human remains discovered within Polish territory: Traces of the difficult history of the twentieth century.

Poland, due to its geographical location, has been a place where the interests of neighbouring countries have converged. As a result, Polish territory has been the site of hostilities, totalitarian terror, and acts of genocide. Following the end of World War II, Poland became part of the so-called Eastern Bloc. A movement known as the anti-communist underground arose within Polish territory with the aim of conducting partisan warfare and political and propaganda activities against the occupiers. Partisans were victims of campaigns of liquidation; they lost their lives during interrogations, died in prisons, were sentenced to death by Polish courts, and were subsequently buried at unknown sites throughout the country. In connection with war and post-war events within Polish territory, the remains of victims of both World War II and post-war political repressions are being found to this day. In addition, remains derived from historical populations are being discovered as well as present-day remains belonging to missing persons or victims of criminal offences. A portion of the remains resulting from military operations and the post-war history of Poland are discovered by chance, but discovery of the burial sites of victims of communist crimes is often preceded by many years of research. International agreements and Polish legal regulations make it possible to search for victims of armed conflicts of various nationalities within the country. The process of identifying victims of armed conflicts, political terror and genocide can be carried out thanks to routine procedures for handling unidentified remains. Given the diversity (various historical periods, various nationalities) of the discovered remains, the elaborated procedures enable their dignified burial.

Men at war, recovery and analysis of soldiers' remains from the WWI and WWII Italian Front.

Italy was hit hard by the World Wars, still today the discovery of human remains dating back to 20th century is a common phenomenon, in particular on Alpine glaciers, due to climate changes. The authors will describe the Italian scenario in terms of legislation, scientific procedures and related disciplines involved, then the difficulties in the identification of human remains of soldiers, but also potential issues related to uncontrolled "scavenging" activities and consequent ethical aspects. The interdisciplinarity, used as systematic approach to deal with complex cases, allowed the presumptive identification of a WWI soldier recovered after one century from the glaciers of the Adamello mountain, as described. Putting aside the national perspective, the authors endorse and encourage the establishment of an international working group in order to share common issues, to exchange experience and to build global best-practices.

Missing, not Forgotten. The German Association for the Recovery of the Fallen in Eastern Europe (VBGO e.V.).

For almost three decades, the Association for the Recovery of the Fallen in Eastern Europe (Verein zur Bergung Gefallener in Osteuropa e.V., VBGO) has committed itself to the location, recovery, documentation, and identification of the missing victims of World War II. Through the tireless efforts of the VBGO volunteers, over 7.000 fallen soldiers have been recovered and given a proper burial, many of them having been identified. The VBGO's work contributes to the ongoing process of coming to terms with one of the darkest chapters in European history. Countless dead are still missing, but they are not forgotten. The aim of this text is to present the VBGO, its goals and work, and the battlefield of Klessin as the main focus of the VBGO.

Forensic archaeology and anthropology sensitization in post-conflict Uganda.

The renowned work of Clyde Snow and the development of the Equipo Argentino de Anthropología Forense (EAAF) team has inspired the use of forensic anthropological and archaeological skills in human rights interventions around the world. Whether for medico-legal intervention and acquisition of evidence or humanitarian repatriation and identification of human remains, forensic expertise has garnered attention in the global arena. Arguably fulfilling evidentiary and psychosocial needs, there has been growing interest in this post-conflict redress. However, as part of the critique of these interventions, scholars and practitioners have pointed out - primarily in medico-legal investigations - a lack of sensitization of local communities regarding forensic work, increasing the potential for re-traumatization, unrealistic expectations, or an unintentional increase in political tensions. Research regarding forensic intervention and human remains have permeated social sciences, peace and conflict studies, and science and technology studies, revealing both intentional and unintentional impacts of forensic sciences after mass violence. In an effort to mitigate negative impacts of medico-legal or humanitarian interventions, the research described here sought to sensitize communities in Uganda about forensic methods. Findings from this study suggest that sensitization is necessary and desired, and that a multi-step approach can assist in managing expectations.

Forensic anthropology and missing persons: A Brazilian perspective.

The problem of the missing persons phenomenon in Brazil in the 21st century has become apparent, and the responses to the issue are still under development. The relatively new field of forensic anthropology and its trained professionals occupy an essential place in the investigation of cases of missing and unidentified individuals. The development of forensic anthropology in Brazil is unique among Latin American countries, who improved their expertise during the investigations of political crimes that occurred between the 1960s and 1980s in most places. The qualifications and the paths to become a forensic anthropologist in Brazil are different from other professionals who work in the field worldwide. This article addresses the issue of missing person investigations and details the work of forensic anthropologists in such cases in Brazil.

The Status of Forensic Anthropology in Europe and South Africa: Results of the 2016 FASE Questionnaire on Forensic Anthropology.

One of the goals of the Forensic Anthropology Society of Europe (FASE) is to map the existing education and practice opportunities in the field of forensic anthropology in order to support the development of the discipline and to optimize the training courses provided by the Society. To address this goal, an online questionnaire was sent to European and South African practitioners of forensic anthropology and related disciplines in 2016. The results of the questionnaire showed that the status and roles of forensic anthropologists vary depending on the national legal systems, education, and employment status of the practitioners. Despite the fact that the expertise of forensic anthropologists has been increasingly requested in a variety of investigations and the spectrum of tasks has become broader, including identification of living persons, specialized education in forensic anthropology is still restricted to a few graduate and postgraduate programs in European countries and to annual FASE courses.

The development and status of forensic anthropology in India: A review of the literature and future directions.

Forensic anthropology deals with the identification of human remains in a legal setting. The primary role of a forensic anthropologist is to evaluate human skeletal remains and ascertain the biological profile of the deceased. Forensic anthropologists thus use their expertise to assist medical examiners, as well as law enforcement agencies. Forensic anthropology was not recognised as a subject specialty of much significance in most parts of the world for a long time. However, now its status has changed, mostly in the USA and parts of Europe. The scope of the subject ranges from evaluation of human skeletal remains to the identification of the living. In the new millennium, the role of forensic anthropologists includes disaster victim identification, photographic superimposition, facial image reconstruction in CCTV footage, gait pattern analysis from video surveillance, ascertaining the age of an individual in absence of legal documents and paedo-pornographic materials. Despite its relevance in human identification, the development of forensic anthropology in India is not very encouraging. Only a few institutions in India include forensic anthropology as a part of the forensic science degree programme, and there are no certified courses in anthropology either. Likewise, there are limited employment opportunities for forensic anthropologists in medical institutes/organisations/universities. This comprehensive review focuses on the status and development of forensic anthropology in India and emphasises the need for its recognition as a specialty of significance. The article also throws light on the comparison of its status in the Indian context vis a vis developed nations.

Appraising forensic anthropology in the Philippines: Current status and future directions.

The increasing significance of forensic anthropology in the 21st century, yet unequitable worldwide distribution of expertise, necessitates a stocktaking of the discipline on a local scale. The purpose of this work is to appraise the current state of forensic anthropology in the Philippines and provide the rationale for its further development within the country. Recent efforts in research, education, and legislation that seek to boost Philippine forensic anthropology specifically and forensic sciences generally are highlighted. Furthermore, this work hopes to serve as a springboard for future students, scholars, and practitioners seeking to advance the field in the Philippines.

A history of forensic anthropology.

Forensic anthropology represents a dynamic and rapidly evolving complex discipline within anthropology and forensic science. Academic roots extend back to early European anatomists but development coalesced in the Americas through high-profile court testimony, assemblage of documented collections and focused research. Formation of the anthropology section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 1972, the American Board of Forensic Anthropology in 1977/1978 and other organizational advances provided important stimuli for progress. While early pioneers concentrated on analysis of skeletonized human remains, applications today have expanded to include complex methods of search and recovery, the biomechanics of trauma interpretation, isotopic analysis related to diet and region of origin, age estimation of the living and issues related to humanitarian and human rights investigations.

Critical issues in the historical and contemporary development of forensic anthropology in Australia: An international comparison.

The aim of this brief critical qualitative analysis is to examine the development of forensic anthropology in Australia, at a time of significant change in the discipline. It will briefly summarise its historical establishment, making comparative reference to other regions-particularly the United Kingdom and United States, and the influence of the Bali Bombings of 2002, Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004 and Black Saturday Bushfires of 2009. The analysis goes on to consider key factors in research in forensic anthropology in the United States, and the development of standards and regulation in the US and UK. The significance of research in post-mortem diagenesis in Brazil-a country sharing aspects of climate, soil types and demography with Australia-is also considered, as well as the significance of patterns of casework encountered in Australia compared with those of other jurisdictions. While forensic anthropology as a discipline has grown remarkably in recent years, this analysis suggests that research and training tailored to the specific pattern of casework encountered in Australia is now essential to support the development of national standards in science, education, and professional regulation. The significance of the establishment of the first taphonomy research facility outside of the US-the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research-is briefly considered with reference to what this facility may offer to the development of forensic anthropology in Australia.

Undocumented Border Crosser Deaths in Arizona: Expanding Intrastate Collaborative Efforts in Identification.

Undocumented Border Crosser (UBC) deaths in Arizona are a major issue faced by medicolegal authorities. Currently, the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner (MCOME) is in possession of over two hundred unidentified individuals, more than half of whom are presumed to be UBCs. The primary goal of this study was to address the growing number of UBC deaths in Maricopa County in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of this important anthropological issue within the state of Arizona. Of the 107 total UBC cases evaluated for the study, the majority were male and age estimates for all individuals were between 15 to 60 years old. Modeled after the recording system established by the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, the biographic and geographic data for these cases were entered into a new UBC database at MCOME and later added to the online Map of Migrant Mortality.

MH17: the Malaysian experience.

A disaster is a natural or man-made (or technological) hazard resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment. It is a phenomenon that can cause damage to life and property and destroy the economic, social and cultural life of the people; and overwhelms the capacity of the community to cope with the event. The recent tragic aviation accidents in 2014 involving Malaysia Airlines flights MH370 and MH17 shocked the world in an unprecedented manner. This paper focuses on the Malaysian experience in the MH17 mission in Ukraine as well as the first ever international Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) operation for the Malaysian DVI team. The DVI operations in Hilversum, the Netherlands were well described in stages. The Netherlands' Landelijk Team Forensische Opsporing as the lead DVI team in Hilversum operated systematically, ensuring the success of the whole mission. This paper discusses the lessons learned by the Malaysian team on proper DVI structure, inter- and intra-agency cooperation, facilities planning and set up, logistics and health and safety aspects, as well as effective communication and collaboration with other international delegates. Several issues and challenges faced by the Malaysian team were also documented. In addition, the authors shared views, opinions and recommendations for a more comprehensive DVI operation in the future.

History, research and practice of forensic anthropology in Thailand.

Forensic anthropology is an increasingly developing discipline born about a century ago in the United States with the objective to contribute the knowledge of bone biology and physical anthropology to the emerging needs of the court of law. The development of research in biological and forensic anthropology has made rapid progress worldwide in the past few years, however, in most countries--with the exception of the United States--forensic anthropology work is still considered within the duties of the forensic pathologist. This paper attempts to summarise the history and development of forensic anthropology in Thailand by providing information on past and current research and practice that can help forensic practitioners to apply existing methods in forensic cases and mass disasters. It is hoped that the lessons learned from the tsunami catastrophe and the emerging need for positive identification in medicolegal settings will lead to rapid advances in education, training and professional engagement of anthropologists from the forensic departments and the law enforcement agencies in Thailand.

Utilização de imagens tridimensionais da cavidade sinusal frontal provenientes de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico para a identificação forense / Usage of tridimensional cone beam computed tomography imaging of the frontal sinus for human identifications in Forensic Scienses

A unicidade da cavidade sinusal frontal é um importante fator para a identidade humana. O uso de registros de imagens dessa cavidade para a identificação forense é amplamente difundido, sendo uma metodologia secundária segundo a INTERPOL. Recentes avanços nas tecnologias de imagem permitiram o registro de imagens tridimensionais dessa cavidade. Nosso objetivo foi validar a metodologia proposta por Beaini et al. (2015), padronizando critérios para a obtenção de imagens tridimensionais da cavidade sinusal frontal com tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico e avaliando a capacidade desses dados para a identificação humana. Para tanto, utilizamos um banco de imagens tomográficas de 200 pacientes randomizados e analisados por três observadores. As imagens foram exportadas em formato DICOM e submetidas a dois processos de segmentação distintos e sobreposição tridimensional. Realizou-se a metodologia descrita para estabelecer a identificação entre pacientes randomizados. Os resultados mostraram que há uma diferença significativa entre os processos de segmentação, sendo mais indicada a técnica de segmentação manual. A metodologia proposta por Beaini et al. (2015) foi validada e um total de 166 pacientes foram identificados. O volume da cavidade sinusal possui um elevado potencial de identificação com uma probabilidade aproximada de 85% para determinar o gênero dos indivíduos.

The uniqueness of the frontal sinus cavity is an important factor for establishing human identity. The usage of imaging records of this cavity for human identity is a secondary methodology according to the INTERPOL protocols. Recent advances in imaging technologies have enabled the three-dimensional imaging records of this cavity. Our goal was to validate the methodology proposed by Beaini et al. (2015), by developing standardized criteria for the use of cone beam computed tomography three-dimensional images of the front sinus and evaluating the ability of these data for human identification. The aim of this study was to investigate a total of 200 imaging records from randomized patients that were analyzed by three observers. Images were exported in DICOM format and underwent two distinct segmentation processes and a three-dimensional overlap. The Beaini et al. (2015) technique was applied to establish identification of the randomized patients. My results showed a significant difference between both segmentation processes, with manual segmentation showing the best results. Beaini et al. (2015) technique was validated and a total of 166 patients were identified. The volume of the sinus cavity has a high identification probability with a rough probability of 85% to determine the sex of individuals.

Recovery of Missing Persons in Cyprus: Heavy Equipment Methods and Techniques for Complex Well Excavations.

This technical note presents the methods and techniques developed by the Bi-communal Forensic Team (BCFT) of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) used to excavate and exhume the remains of missing persons, many of whom were buried in deep wells at sites across the island of Cyprus during the conflict period of the 1960s and 1970s. A total of 493 Turkish Cypriots and 1508 Greek Cypriots were officially reported missing by the two communities as a result of the conflict. Since the team's formation, in 2005, the BCFT has excavated 114 wells, resulting in the recovery of 195 missing individuals from 35 of these well excavations. The standard excavation approach used by the BCFT, especially for deep well recovery, consists of "ramp," "pocket," and "pool" components. These excavation features enable CMP archaeologists to excavate deep wells safely and efficiently while simultaneously permitting time for thorough documentation and unimpeded recovery of human remains. The team uses three variants of this approach to cope with the variety of geological, physical, and hydrological contexts faced in Cyprus' wells, including hard and soft landforms, the presence or absence of water, and limitations imposed by surrounding infrastructure. The "terracing", "double-ramp", and "single-ramp" variations are detailed with respect to the environmental contexts which prescribe their use. The BCFT's general procedures for human remains recovery and standard well safety protocols conclude the article.