Determinant factors in the identification of unknown cadavers in a forensic medical institute

Abstract

Introduction

Globally, efforts are being made to locate and identify as many missing people as possible, due to the social and legal importance of this process. Brazilian law 13.812/2019 established the National Policy for the Search for Missing Persons, prioritizing the search and identification of missing persons by public security agencies.

Objective

To evaluate factors related to the identification of unknown bodies that arrived at a Brazilian Medical Examiner's Institute.

Method

This was an epidemiological, cross-sectional study aiming to describe the characteristics of unidentified individuals in 2021 and factors related to their identification. A descriptive analysis, Pearson's Chi-square test with Monte Carlo simulation, and prevalence ratios obtained through Poisson regression were conducted.

Results

A total of 3649 individuals were examined, with a higher prevalence of male individuals and adults, whose cause of death was undetermined. Among them, 1046 arrived at the institute unidentified, while the rest were identified upon admission. Proportionally, there were more men and young people among the unidentified compared to those already identified upon arrival at the Institute. Of the 1046 unidentified individuals, most were recognized by family members, with 30 % identified technically, predominantly through fingerprint analysis. There were proportionally more unidentified individuals who were still unidentified and lacked information on sex, age, and cause of death compared to those who were identified. Fingerprint collection and the issuance of comparative anthropological/odontological reports were statistically significant for the identification process, and there was a higher chance of identification among unidentified females or individuals up to 17 years old, who represented a smaller number of cases, which improved the targeting of direct comparison between antemortem and postmortem data.

Conclusions

Fingerprint collection is especially important for the identification process. Defining or predicting the biological profile of the unidentified is crucial for the direct comparison of cases, making forensic anthropology services essential for critical cases involving cadaveric transformation, especially when there is the possibility of issuing comparative reports.