Original scientific paper

The Incidence of Dental Identifications from Mass Graves in Croatia

Hrvoje Brkić ; Zavod za dentalnu antropologiju Stomatološkog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Davor Strinović ; Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Milovan Kubat ; Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

The paper presents the results and procedure of identification of 523
bodies exhumed up until June 1996. The identification procedure was
carried out in the Department o f Forensic Medicine and Criminology
School of Medicine in Zagreb. A forensic dentist participated in the
identification procedure, based on a breakdown of sets of teeth. All orodental characteristics were carefully registered in the Interpol forms for entry o f post-mortem dental characteristics, and in the CAPMI 4 computer programme. Forensic classification of genomic and mitochondrial DNA, based on the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was carried out on the samples from dental tissue cells in cases when other traditional forensic methods were inadequate o f unsuccessful. Up until June 1996, 523 bodies had been exhumed in the Republic of Croatia: 412 men (78.77%) and 111 women (21.23%). A total o f 381 bodies (72.84%) were identified and 142 bodies (27.16%) remained unidentified. In 23.88% o f cases dental identification was achieved on the basis o f known dental features. The majority of bodies were identified by comparison with dental records (35%), X-rays helped in the identification of 15%, photographs in 22%, talks with members of the family helped in the identification o f 18% and 10% of cases were solved with the help of dentists, who recognised their own dental work. In combination with anthropological parameters - age, sex, height, together with other specific parameters, such as tattoos personal documents, jewellery and DNA classification, helped in another 60.64% o f cases, although they were not dominant due to the lack of data prior to their death. Teeth were o f no help no help in only 15.48% of cases. In such cases identification was made on the basis o f other reliable data. Today, at the end o f the 20th century, we are confronted with the greatest task ever in forensic dentistry, during which almost every day we come across new cases on which to learn. The identificationprocedure continues in order to find and identify a further 2.197 people^rep>orted missing during the attack on the Republic of Croatia.

Keywords

forensic dentistry; teeth; mass graves; DNA

Hrčak ID:

97965

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/97965

Publication date:

15.9.1998.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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