Review article
Discovering the 60 years old secret: identification of the World War II mass grave victims from the island of Daksa near Dubrovnik, Croatia
Igor Borić
; General Hospital Dubrovnik, Department of Pathology, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Jelena Ljubković
; University Hospital Split and School of Medicine Split Department of Forensic Medicine, Split, Croatia
Davorka Sutlović
orcid.org/0000-0002-0102-7251
; University Hospital Split and School of Medicine Split Department of Forensic Medicine, Split, Croatia
Abstract
Aim To describe the organization, field work, forensic anthropological
examination, and DNA analysis conducted to
identify the victims from a World War II mass grave found
on the Dalmatian island of Daksa near Dubrovnik (Croatia)
in 2009.
Methods Excavation of the site was performed according
to standard archeological procedures. Basic anthropological
examination was made to determine the minimum
number of victims, sex, age at death, and height. The bones
with pathological and traumatic changes were identified.
DNA was extracted from powdered bones and relatives’
blood samples. Y-chromosome and autosomal short tandem
repeats (STR) were used to establish the relationship
of the remains with the putative family members.
Results The remains were found to belong to at least 53
distinctive victims. All were male, mostly with gunshot
wounds to the head. DNA analysis and cross-matching of
the samples with relatives resulted in 14 positive identifications
using the Y-chromosomal STRs and 4 positive identifications
using the autosomal STRs.
Conclusions This study showed that even in cases of more
than 50-year-old, highly degraded human remains from
mass graves, Y-chromosomal and autosomal STRs analysis
can contribute to identification of the victims.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
71442
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2011.
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