The ghost dead: ethical and medico legal analysis on the Mediterranean tragedies.

Background: Cadaveric identification represents a legal, moral and medico-legal obligation and also fulfills the ethical function to allow the living to offer their dead a merciful burial. In the Mediterranean basin we have been witnessing for years a struggle for life where hundreds of migrants die in an attempt to reach Europe. For these people right to be recognized is not easy because of ante-death biological data are not always available for comparison, and DNA analysis is not always feasible cause for the absence of data with which to compare. In Italy a multidisciplinary protocol has been adopted that involves the acquisition of data provided by family members present in the countries of origin.

Materials and methods: Between August 2015 and December 2021, bodies of 879 migrants of various nationalities washed up on the shores of Sicily and Calabria. These men, women, and children, in various states of preservation, were examined. Each body underwent a multidisciplinary approach. External examination and autopsy aimed to determine the cause of death for judicial purposes and to facilitate individual identification. Whenever possible bodies underwent total body post-mortem computed tomography examination to identify fractures and prosthetic implants. including inspection of the third molar to provide an estimate of the age.

Conclusions: The activity carried out in cooperation with Prefecture, Scientific Police, and National and International Red Cross highlighted the importance of employing multiple scientific skills to compensate for the lack of biological information. The importance of appropriate behaviors to avoid contamination and ensure proper preservation underlines the importance of the establishment of a dedicated database.