Understanding the challenges of disaster victim identification: perspectives of Australian forensic practitioners

Facial recognition for disaster victim identification

Mass disaster events can result in high levels of casualties that need to be identified. Whilst disaster victim identification (DVI) relies on primary identifiers of DNA, fingerprints, and dental, these require ante-mortem data that may not exist or be easily obtainable. Facial recognition technology may be able to assist. Automated facial recognition has advanced considerably and access to ante-mortem facial images are readily available. Facial recognition could therefore be used to expedite the DVI process by narrowing down leads before primary identifiers are made available. This research explores the feasibility of using automated facial recognition technology to support DVI. We evaluated the performance of a commercial-off-the-self facial recognition algorithm on post-mortem images (representing images taken after a mass disaster) against ante-mortem images (representing a database that may exist within agencies who hold face databases for identity documents (such as passports or driver's licenses). We explored facial recognition performance for different operational scenarios, with different levels of face image quality, and by cause of death. Our research is the largest facial recognition evaluation of post-mortem and ante-mortem images to date. We demonstrated that facial recognition technology would be valuable for DVI and that the performance varies by image quality and cause of death. We provide recommendations for future research.

Exploring Age and Gender Identification Through Mandibular Parameters Using Orthopantomography: An Observational Study

Aim This study aims to examine five mandibular parameters: coronoid ramus height, condylar ramus height, projective ramus height, minimum ramus breadth, and gonial angle, using orthopantomography (OPG). Introduction The mandible, a crucial part of the human skull, demonstrates sexual dimorphism, which makes it an important tool for determining sex in forensic and anthropological investigations. Its form and structure are relatively resistant to significant changes after death. Among all skeletal components, the mandible stands out as a primary indicator of sexual differences. In forensic investigations, establishing the age and sex of an individual is considered a crucial initial step. This process can be particularly challenging in scenarios involving mass casualties, natural calamities, or extensively fragmented remains. Due to its responsiveness to growth patterns, the mandible is adept at accurately determining both age and sex. Materials and methods This study employed a sample size of 500 individuals, split equally between males and females, with 250 participants each. The age bracket chosen for this cohort ranged from 20 to 30 years, considering that bone growth characteristics within this range can assist in sex determination. The height of the mandibular ramus was assessed using Planmeca software, and subsequent data analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results When estimating age, the condylar ramus height exhibited the smallest standard error (0.010), whereas the maximum standard error for the gonial angle was 0.028. Positive t values were observed for the gonial angle (1.182), minimum ramus breadth (0.114), and coronoid ramus height (0.733). In terms of determining sex, the gonial angle, coronoid ramus height, and projective ramus height demonstrated positive coefficient functions, specifically 0.676, 0.090, and 0.286, respectively. Conversely, both the minimum ramus breadth and the condylar ramus height displayed negative values of -0.385 and -0.126, respectively. Conclusion Among the parameters evaluated, condylar ramus height emerges as the most suitable choice for estimating age, while gonial angle, coronoid ramus height, and projective ramus height are preferable for determining sex.

Managing large volume data sets in the process of identifying missing persons: Contributions from the International Commission on Missing Persons

The process of locating and identifying missing persons presents a complex challenge that hinges on the collection and comparison of diverse data sets. This commentary offers an overview of some of the difficulties and considerations associated with data management in the context of large-scale missing person identifications. Such complexities include the uniqueness of each disaster event, the response time to the event, the variable quality and quantity of data, and the involvement of numerous stakeholders, all of which contribute to the intricacies of data management. In addition, the paramount considerations of privacy and ethical standards further compound these challenges, especially when dealing with sensitive information such as genetic data. This commentary describes the integrated Data Management System (iDMS) developed by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) as one example of a comprehensive, freely available solution for data collection, storage, protection, and analysis in missing person cases. The various advantages of the system are discussed, including the system's interoperability among the diverse array of stakeholders involved. While the iDMS streamlines data management processes and therefore represents a significant advancement in the field of missing person identification, it is concluded that the pending issue extends beyond the software tools to encompass the lack of political will among stakeholders to collaborate there remains a pressing need for all stakeholders involved in the identification process to commit to a mechanism that facilitates compatibility and interoperability if different tools are used in disaster victim identification (DVI) scenarios.