Forensic Identification of Human Remains

The identification of missing and unidentified people has legal and humanitarian significance. The identification process is a multidisciplinary and multi-stage interconnected process that compares information about the missing person, including the circumstances of their disappearance and biological and personal information, with similar data collected from the found person or body. This brochure outlines the forensic process of identification with an emphasis on the scientific methods and lines of evidence used to return the missing and deceased to their families. It uses the latest definitions and concepts coherent with the evolutions of the forensic research and humanitarian action towards the people missing, separated or deceased following conflict, disasters and other situations of violence.