Disaster Victim Identification

6.1 - Introduction

In the case of aircraft disasters, for example, the country in which the aircraft was registered will become involved, as will the country where it was manufactured. As a result ICAO Contracting States have agreed upon certain minimum standards and procedures in respect of technical investigations, and these are accepted by all the countries and agencies concerned. Additional recommended procedures are also included in various international agreements. If these agreements did not exist, each country with an interest in the case would have to re-investigate the incident to its own required standard.

However, no such international standards or agreements currently exist in respect of the identification of disaster victims. One consequence of this can be doubt in one country about the conclusions reached in another country. Such doubts are often unfounded, but it must be acknowledged that, on occasions, there have been incorrect or no identifications as a result of using unsatisfactory methods. Distrust may also arise if insufficient documentary evidence is made available after the event as proof of identification. Some countries have therefore felt obliged to carry out - or perhaps duplicate - the identification processes, using their own systems and resources; that could have been avoided had agreed standards been in force.

The identification of a foreign victim cannot always be achieved without the co-operation of the authorities of that person’s home country. Information about a missing person is essential but, if the person's own country's authorities do not have confidence and trust, they may withhold information and retain material for their own later use. There have been extreme cases where all material has been withheld. This will clearly seriously hamper the identification process: citizens of foreign countries involved in a disaster may remain unidentified, and the accurate identification of other victims may also be compromised.

6.2 Liaison between member countries

• smooth and efficient co-operation, either through Interpol or directly between member countries, in the identification of victims;
• the basic human rights of victims and next-of-kin with regard to accurate identification whenever possible, irrespective of the origin of the deceased.

6.3 - International Identification Standard

6.3.1 - Responsibilities of the Interpol General Secretariat

It is recommended that the General Secretariat, under the authority of the General Assembly, should:

(1) Maintain a Standing Committee on Disaster Victim Identification responsible for:

• recommending measures for improving identification procedures and international co-operation in the identification processes,
• recommending improvements to, and the updating of, the Interpol Disaster Victim Identification Forms and Guide, as experience is gained and new techniques are discovered,
• updating and circulating recommendations on methods, procedures and Disaster Victim Identification documentation to member countries;

6.3.2 - Responsibilities of Member Countries

In preparation for circumstances where disaster victim identification might be required, each member country is advised to take the following steps.

(1) Establish a Disaster Victim Identification Liaison Team affiliated to its National Central Bureau (NCB) and comprising a police officer, a forensic pathologist and a forensic odontologists whose names should be circulated to all member countries on a list kept up to date by the General Secretariat. The members of this team should:

• be familiar with the Interpol disaster victim identification procedures, forms and recommendations,
• be responsible for all contact, via Interpol if necessary, with the NCB of a country in which a disaster has occurred,
• be responsible for providing ante-mortem information on the Interpol form in an Interpol language, and for transmission of the form to the relevant country’s Disaster Victim Identification Team,
• be responsible for the transmission of all identification evidence to the country concerned,
• ensure that, if a disaster occurs, their own regional and national authorities are informed of the procedures described in the Interpol Disaster Victim Identification Guide, including these recommendations.

(2) Establish a multidisciplinary Disaster Victim Identification Team (police officers, forensic pathologist, forensic odontologist, etc.).

• advise and assist the local police when a body or bodies are found which cannot rapidly be identified by someone who knew the missing person or persons and when circumstances suggest that identification may be difficult,
• assist with disaster victim identification operations in another country.

  6.3.2.1 If a disaster occurs on their territory, member countries should take the following action:

  • immediately assume responsibility for identification,
  • notify all other countries whose citizens may be involved via Interpol,
  • obtain ante-mortem details on the Interpol Disaster Victim Identification Forms,
  • accept assistance from disaster victim identification personnel from countries whose citizens are involved,
  • make permanent evidential records of disaster victim identification material and data, and offer other countries’ disaster victim identification personnel an opportunity to examine such records and material,
  • offer assisting Disaster Victim Identification Teams the opportunity to give their opinions on the identification of their citizens,
  • allow assisting Disaster Victim Identification Teams to examine physical evidence pertaining to the identification of their fellow citizens,
  • record all identification evidence on Interpol Disaster Victim Identification forms,
    
    

  It is also strongly recommended that they:

  • invite disaster victim identification personnel from other countries whose citizens are known to be involved, or if the task of identification is likely to be particularly difficult,
  • allow assisting disaster victim identification personnel to visit and examine the incident site,
  • allow appropriate visiting disaster victim identification experts to take part in or witness post-mortem examinations and subsequent data comparison,
  • ask assisting disaster victim identification personnel to sign identification documents,
  • provide opportunities for disaster victim identification personnel from other countries to attend as observers, in order to gain experience.

   

  6.3.2.2 Member countries whose citizens are missing in a disaster should:

  • promptly answer all requests for information and assistance from the country on whose territory the incident has occurred,
  • immediately notify the relevant country when their nationals are reported as potentially involved,
  • rapidly provide full ante-mortem information on their missing citizens, including fingerprints, DNA samples, X-rays, dental records, etc., on Interpol forms and in an Interpol language,
  • provide disaster victim identification expert assistance and equipment if requested,
  • keep copies of any documents sent to another country,
  • sign the identification documents completed by the country in which the incident has occurred, seeking permission to do so if necessary.

6.4 - Conclusion

If a large number of victims are from a foreign country in which there is an established Victim Identification Commission, greater assistance from that country - in terms of expertise and equipment - could be sought. Although an expert group from a foreign country will normally work under the authority of the country inviting it to participate, there have been incidents in which the country dealing with the disaster did not possess the required expertise and resources. There have been cases where some or all responsibility for identification has been delegated to the foreign group.

There are no international agreements on co-operation or the delegation of responsibility for disaster victim identification. Member countries are therefore advised to explore the possibility of one or more of their identification experts travelling immediately to the country in which an incident has occurred when their citizens are or may be victims. This would necessitate keeping a list of such experts with particulars of personal data, passport numbers and expiry dates, vaccinations and expiry dates, and photographs to facilitate visa applications. For each key person, alternatives should be listed in case that person is not available at the critical time. All those on the list must be prepared to travel at very short notice, and the important questions of personal insurance and remuneration on such occasions must be agreed on beforehand.

It may be possible for identification experts to be granted temporary diplomatic status on such occasions or, in the case of a commercial aircraft accident, be affiliated to a technical investigation commission for which international regulations already exist (viz. the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation).

Finally, the formation of one or more Interpol-approved International Identification Commissions may be considered the best way of assisting a member country, or other organizations such as the United Nations, whenever expertise and resources for handling victim identification are scarce or where impartiality is necessary.

Disaster Victim Identification