Management of unidentified and unclaimed bodies: a comparison of model from four countries in the Asia Pacific Region

This study aims to address the issues surrounding unidentified and unclaimed bodies including body disposal from a social and legal perspective using case study methodology by comparing four different countries in the Asia Pacific Region through document analysis and interview methods. One of the major findings is evident in 3 out of the 4 models, whereby there is a considerable gap in consolidating the missing person report and information to match with the unidentified bodies received in forensic institutions in an attempt to enhance the identification process which ultimately intends as a closure for the family members. It is also timely to think out o f the box beyond dental records and DNA profiling to improve the identification rate for skeletonized remains through means of anthropology biometrics comparison. With the limited literature published surrounding this domain, it is hoped that the suggestions and recommendations to standardize the ma nagement of unidentified and unclaimed bodies can benefit many forensic institutions and public mortuaries in this region.
Source: Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology - Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research