The Identification Process
The identification of human remains in the former Yugoslavia is a complex process that involves many actors including:
- the families of the missing,
- the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
- the International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP),
- various national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies (including the Canadian Red Cross),
- forensic specialists, and
- various government authorities.
Although details of the identification process vary throughout the region, the same basic tools are the same.
- Grave sites are first located and examined, and human remains exhumed.
- The exhumed human remains are taken to an identification facility and a post mortem examination by forensic experts is done.
- If necessary and/or possible, DNA samples are taken from the exhumed remains (usually from bones) and a DNA profile is generated.
- If necessary and/or possible, DNA samples (usually from blood) are also taken from at least two family members of the missing person, and DNA profiles are generated.
- If DNA profiles were generated, they are compared. If a DNA match or “presumptive identification” is found, the forensic pathologist will compare AMD with information gained from the post mortem examination to complete the identification.
- If no DNA profiles were generated, then the pathologists will refer the findings of their post mortem examination to the AMD database to hopefully complete and identification.
It is not possible to complete an identification with DNA matching alone. Therefore, collection of AMD is a crucial part of the identification process for missing persons in the former Yugoslavia.
