Disaster Victim

Identification
Steve Tolmie
Detective Chief Inspector
Thames Valley Police

Objectives

Disaster Victim Identification Process

Role of Senior Identification Manager
Family Liaison
Victim Recovery
Temporary Mortuary
Role of the Coroner
Methods of Primary Identification
Welfare and Support

The Requirement to Identify

the Deceased
Statutory Requirement
Judicial recommendations
Duty to victims and their families
Crime investigation
Interpol Resolution

Lord Justice Clarkes

Report
General Principles:
Provision of honest and as far as
possible accurate information at all
times and at every stage
Respect for the deceased and the
bereaved
A sympathetic and caring approach
throughout
The avoidance of mistaken
identification

The Requirement to Identify

the Deceased
the care with which our dead are treated is a
mark of how civilised a society we are. Much goes
on for understandable reasons behind closed
doors. For this reason there is special
responsibility placed on those entrusted with
this work and the authorities who supervise
it to ensure that the bodies of the dead are
treated with the utmost care and respect. That is
what bereaved and loved ones are entitled to
expect and what society at large demands
Charles Haddon Cave QC Counsel for
Marchioness Action Group 2001

DVI Process
The Bringing together of
Ante Mortem and Post
Mortem data
To make a positive
Identification

DVI Process
Ante Mortem Data is
collected
By Police Officers in the
countries that people are
reported missing from.
This is recorded on
Interpol Yellow forms

DVI Process
Post Mortem Data is
collected
By Pathology and DVI
teams working at the
mortuaries where the
dead are taken. This is
recorded on Interpol Pink
forms

DVI Process
Both Yellow Ante Mortem
Data
&
Pink Post Mortem Data
Are sent to the IMC for
comparison

DVI Process
The Challenge is to match all the
Yellow AMs to the Pink PMs

SIO

SIM

HM Coroner

Identification
Commission
Casualty
Bureau

Victim Recovery
DVI
Team

Family Liaison

Mortuary

DVI Process
If yellow ante mortem data is not
gathered or submitted to IMC no
identification can be made
If post mortem data can not be
matched it means that the person
has not been reported missing
If ante mortem data can not be
matched it means that the body is
not there

Casualty Bureau
High volume of telephone calls
Use of Holmes 2/Casweb software
Relevant questions set by SIM to assist
identification of missing persons
Provide list of missing persons
Collate data to support identification of
missing persons
Liaison with DVI team
Work with family Liaison

Sample Questions

Do they use the bus/public coach regularly?

Do you know if they made a journey today?
Where would they have started their journey from today?
Where do they usually travel to?
What time would they normally have left work/education?
How do they get to the bus coach stop?
Do you know if they travel using a daily ticket/ season ticket /Oyster
card
Would they be travelling with anyone else? If so who?
Have you tried to contact them?
If Yes what response did you get?
E.g. phone disconnected, engaged, ring no answer, voice mail,
diverted call, record details of number and provider
Would you have expected this person to have made contact with
you by now?
Have you contacted their place of work?Yes or No (if Yes what
time)

Family Liaison
Common Tasks
To gather evidence
To provide a documented two-way
communication channel between family & police
To mitigate negative effects of criminal
justice processes
To contribute to a co- ordinated response
to the needs of victims
To offer close liaison with relevant
coroner/coroners officer

Primary role of a FLO?

Counsellor

Investigator

Partner Agencies
Utilising the skills and resources
of partner agencies is key to a
co-ordinated response
Preparation and planning are key
to developing protocols and
understanding

Locations where an FLO

may be deployed

Survivor Reception Centre

Family and Friends Centre
Hospitals
Central Casualty Bureau
Humanitarian Assistance Centre
Major Incident Room
Airports/Seaports
F&CO/DCMS
PNICC-Police National Intelligence Coordination Centre

Holding Area/Temporary Mortuary

Decision of coroner in consultation
with Pathologist, SIO & SIM
Scale of incident
City Mortuary business as usual
Security Press, family
To examine, identify and re-unite all
body parts
Establish identity of person

Temporary Mortuary

Space required
Access
Power supply
Water supply
Drainage
Communications
Welfare of staff
Viewing by family
Stigma

Primary Identification
Criteria
4 methods
Any ideas?

Primary Identification
Criteria
4 methods
Fingerprints
DNA
Odontology
Unique Medical Condition

Fingerprints

DNA

DNA Comparison
Three types of DNA Sample
Reference Sample, Known to be the DNA of the
missing person (DNA database, Medical sample)
Surrogate Sample, Believed to be DNA of person
i.e. from hairbrush, toothbrush, clothing etc.
Familial sample, a close relative who will have
similar DNA, Child, Parent, Sibling

DNA Comparison
Rarely is a Reference Sample available
Surrogate Sample may not be the victims
Familial sample is usually only compared
with parents, children, siblings. Aim is to
construct the deceaseds DNA profile
using his/her relatives

DNA Problems
What if you dont have both parents?
What if the person is adopted
What if the person who thinks he is
the father is not?

Odontology

Unique Medical Condition

Unique Medical Condition

Unique Medical Condition

Primary Identification
Criteria
4 methods
Fingerprints
DNA
Odontology
Unique Medical Condition

Secondary Methods &

Assistance
Secondary
Blood grouping
Scars, marks, Tattoos,
Amputations
Deformities
Personal effects
Jewellery
Distinctive clothing
Medical records
X-ray examinations

Assistance Only
Visual
Photographs
Body location
Description
Clothing

Post Mortem
Examination
Incident
Occurrence

Casualty Bureau
FLO Deployment

Victim
Recovery

DVRI
Documentatio
n/ Antemortem
harvest

Identification certified by Coroner

Reconciliation/Repatriation

Pathology
Dental
Fingerprints
DNA
Identifying marks
Clothing / jewellery
Photographs
Examination and
Documentation

Samples
Analysed

Identification Commission

Welfare and Support

What do families require?
Information about all aspects of the
process if they want it
Clear, consistent channel of
communication
Choices
Openness, honesty, sensitivity
Practical assistance
Emotional first aid

The Golden Principles

Dont make promises that
cant be kept
Dont underestimate peoples
desire for detail
Treat people as you would
wish to be treated

Faith, Religious and Cultural

Considerations
Likely to be a variety of nationalities,
cultural groups and faiths
Identification is paramount
Must know the identity of a victim
before any other issues can be
considered
LRF plans to provide necessary support
Must consider the religious and cultural
needs of the deceased and families

Staff Welfare

Health and Safety

Risk management and avoidance
Mass disasters are demanding
Adequate breaks & refreshments
Proper and adequate briefings and
debriefings
Honest information
Quiet space to prepare, unwind or think
Provide support & information inc for families

Thank You

Any Questions?

We cant necessarily
make things better
but we could make it
much worse!