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  • A New Disaster Victim Identification Management Strategy Targeting 'Below Identification-Threshold' Cases: Experiences from the Boxing Day Tsunami

    Author(s)
    Wright, Kirsty
    Mundorff, Amy
    Chaseling, Janet
    Forrest, Alexander
    Maguire, Christopher
    Crane, Denis I
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Crane, Denis I.
    Year published
    2015
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The international disaster victim identification (DVI) response to the Boxing Day tsunami, led by the Royal Thai Police in Phuket, Thailand, was one of the largest and most complex in DVI history. Referred to as the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification operation, the group comprised a multi-national, multi-agency, and multi-disciplinary team. The traditional DVI approach proved successful in identifying a large number of victims quickly. However, the team struggled to identify certain victims due to incomplete or poor quality ante-mortem and post-mortem data. In response to these challenges, a new 'near-threshold' DVI management ...
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    The international disaster victim identification (DVI) response to the Boxing Day tsunami, led by the Royal Thai Police in Phuket, Thailand, was one of the largest and most complex in DVI history. Referred to as the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification operation, the group comprised a multi-national, multi-agency, and multi-disciplinary team. The traditional DVI approach proved successful in identifying a large number of victims quickly. However, the team struggled to identify certain victims due to incomplete or poor quality ante-mortem and post-mortem data. In response to these challenges, a new 'near-threshold' DVI management strategy was implemented to target presumptive identifications and improve operational efficiency. The strategy was implemented by the DNA Team, therefore DNA kinship matches that just failed to reach the reporting threshold of 99.9% were prioritized, however the same approach could be taken by targeting, for example, cases with partial fingerprint matches. The presumptive DNA identifications were progressively filtered through the Investigation, Dental and Fingerprint Teams to add additional information necessary to either strengthen or conclusively exclude the identification. Over a five-month period 111 victims from ten countries were identified using this targeted approach. The new identifications comprised 87 adults, 24 children and included 97 Thai locals. New data from the Fingerprint Team established nearly 60% of the total near-threshold identifications and the combined DNA/Physical method was responsible for over 30%. Implementing the new strategy, targeting near-threshold cases, had positive management implications. The process initiated additional ante-mortem information collections, and established a much-needed, distinct ''end-point'' for unresolved cases.
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    Journal Title
    Forensic Science International
    Volume
    250
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.03.007
    Subject
    Medical biotechnology not elsewhere classified
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/69166
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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