Identification of deceased. Interpol definitions versus police routines in Denmark.

Abstract

Internationally accepted primary methods of identification include forensic odontology, fingerprinting and DNA analysis. Visual identification and secondary methods of identification based on photographs, description, personal characteristics, and belongings are considered less reliable. In Denmark, the police are responsible for identifying a deceased. The identification of an unknown deceased is important not only for the next-of-kin but also for the society due to ethical and legal reasons. The aim of this study was to examine which identification methods are used by the police when a forensic autopsy is performed. Autopsy and police reports from 591 deaths, where a medico-legal autopsy was performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine at University of Copenhagen in 2020, were investigated. No bodies remained unidentified. Our results showed that the police considered identification assured in 93,4 % of the cases, while in 6,6 % of the cases there were initially doubts about the identity of the deceased. The most used method of identification was visual identification, primarily made by relatives or based on photographs of the deceased. This also included cases with putrefaction, mummification or burns. Primary methods of identification were only used in 4,4 % of the cases and only in two-thirds of the cases with doubtful identity. The use of less reliable methods can potentially lead to errors in identification. We suggest that primary methods of identification should be used more routinely.