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forensics 201 > Lecture 2 - DVI and Mass Disasters > Flashcards

Lecture 2 - DVI and Mass Disasters Flashcards

1
Q

What year did the Boxing Day Tsunami in Thailand occur?

A

2004

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2
Q

Interpol

A

International criminal police organisation which is made up of many countries and is an international organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation

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3
Q

Interpol forms

A

Interpol is an easily understood form of communication, global forms, international events means that people from different countries are able to follow the same protocols
Any form of mass disaster should be using Interpol because it is an easily understandable form of communication and language barriers do not impact the filling out of these forms
Different countries can come together and work effectively very quickly because they all use the same protocols

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4
Q

Death investigation - the set of questions that is specific to when a deceased person is found…

A
  1. Who is the dead person / who is involved ?
  2. What happened ?
  3. How did the person die?
  4. When did the person die?
  5. Where did the death occur?
  6. Why did the person die?
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5
Q

_______________ is an integral part of the postmortem examination and it is important that it is done correctly

A

identification of the deceased

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6
Q

Importance of identification of deceased and why we need more than one method of identification …

A

identification of human remains is important in situations of mass disaster, and it is usually under these circumstances that the bodies of the victims are often unrecognisable due to the nature of these events
The characteristics that are used to establish the identify of a dead person depend on the physical state of the body - the state of the body will depend mainly on the degree to which it has decomposed
Post mortem decomposition is a natural process whereby the dead body gradually disintegrates over time until only the skeletal components remain
The more advances the decomposition = the more difficult it is to identify the body through visual cues

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7
Q

Cause of death

A

The cause of death is the specific injury or disease that leads to death.

Usually determined by the forensic pathologist, if enough information sometimes forensic anthropologist but generally forensic anthropology cannot tell you the exact cause of death
More about the mechanism of specific injuries that led to the death
Cause of death is more scientific than the manner of death

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8
Q

Manner of death

A

The manner of death is the determination of how the injury or disease leads to death or the explanation of how the cause arose

The different manners of death …

1) Natural
2) Accident
3) Suicide
4) Homicide
5) Undetermined

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9
Q

Difference between cause and manner of death

A

Cause of death is more scientific than the manner of death

Manner of death is less scientific and more of a legal question

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10
Q

who determines the MANNER of death

A

Coroner (in NZ)

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11
Q

who usually determines the CAUSE of death

A

forensic pathologist

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12
Q

Coroners are trained in the _____ profession not the _____ profession

A

coroners are lawyers so are trained in the legal profession and not in the medical profession

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13
Q

What do coroners want to find out?

A

Coroners talk about death in legal terms, coroners want to know that if in similar circumstances can this be prevented and whether any laws can be changed to prevent a similar event occurring again or whether whole new laws need to be introduced
Coroners determine whether death was natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal or whether the circumstances are undetermined
Manner of death is less scientific and more of a legal question

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14
Q

The list of the types of manners of death…

A

1) Natural
2) Accident
3) Suicide
4) Homicide
5) Undetermined

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15
Q

Five stages of victim identification process in NZ

A

based on Interpol guidelines

Stage 1 = scene
Stage 2 = mortuary
Stage 1 and 2 are part of the postmortem phase = collecting data from the recovered body
Stage 3 = antemortem information retrieval
Stage 4 = reconciliation
Stage 5 = debrief
Stage 3, 4 and 5 is part of the antemortem phase where information about missing person is bought in from outside

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16
Q

What stages are in the postmortem phase?

A

stage 1= scene and stage 2 = mortuary

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17
Q

What stages are in the antemortem phase?

A

stage 3 = antemortem information retrieval
Stage 4 = reconciliation
Stage 5 = debrief

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18
Q

Stage 1 =

A

Scene

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19
Q

stage 2 =

A

Mortuary

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20
Q

stage 3 =

A

Antemortem information retrieval

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21
Q

stage 4 =

A

reconciliation

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22
Q

stage 5 =

A

Debrief

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23
Q

Stage 1 = scene

A

Postmortem phase

Any human remains are examined and documented in situ, then taken to a temporary holding area

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24
Q

Stage 2 = mortuary

A

post mortem phase

Body or human remains is examined in detail by a pathologist, forensic dentist, fingerprint officer and police disaster victim identification team
Coroner is advised and may choose to attend
Personal effects are photographed in situ, then collected, examined, cleaned, rephotographed and secured

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25
Q

stage 3 = antemortem information retrieval

A

Police gather information about possible victims such as …
Descriptions of appearance, clothing, jewellery, photos
Medical and dental records, X-rays
Fingerprints from objects or official records (commonly collected by some overseas agencies)
Fingerprints from objects or official records
DNA samples such as from a hairbrush

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26
Q

stage 4 = reconciliation

A

Information from postmortem and antemortem phases are brought together to find a match
Easiest identifications are done first to reduce the possible number of matches
Indentification board (chaired by the coroner) is presented evidence of the match by fingerprint, dentistry, DNA and Police DVI experts and decides if identification has been established
Family advised, then media

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27
Q

stage 5 = debrief

A

People involved in the DVI process keep each other updated throughout all stages
Support and welfare is made available to staff including stress and grief counsellors, chaplains, victim support and police welfare officers

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28
Q

when can a victim be identified relatively quickly?

A

Victim can be identified relatively quickly when death witnessed by someone who knew the victim and if the victim lived locally so records are easily obtained

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29
Q

power of visual identification?

A

International experience has shown that visual identification is not conclusive (victims family/friends can be stressed/emotional and mistakes occur, also if the victim has suffered severe injuries)

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30
Q

guidelines for human identification in mass disasters

A

It is rarely possible to identify a victim of a major disaster by visual recognition; fingerprints, dental records or DNA samples are often required for a conclusive identification.

Visual recognition has huge problems in terms of positive ID, especially with high emotion when families want to see the body because they want to grieve and have the body returned to them so unreliable

Fingerprints and dental records easier than DNA samples and often quicker

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31
Q

DNA disadvantages

A

takes a long time to process samples

dependent on the condition of the body

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32
Q

definition of a disaster

A

A disaster is an unexpected event causing the death or injuring many people

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33
Q

DVI definition

A

DVI is the method used to identify victims of mass casualty incidents, either man-made or natural

34
Q

Disaster examples

A

Traffic accidents (eg: Tangiwai, Erebus, Carterton balloon)
Natural disasters (eg: Christchurch earthquake, Whakaari/White Island eruption)
Fires (eg: Victoria Black Saturday bushfires, Australian bushfires)
Explosions (eg: Pike River)
Terrorist attacks (eg: Lockerbie, Christchurch Mosque shootings, 911)
Wars (eg: Bosnia, “los desaparecidos” of Argentina’s “Dirty War”)

35
Q

Manmade disaster + examples

A

Man-made disasters are extreme hazardous events that are caused by human beings.

air crash, sinking ship, train accident, building collapse, bridge collapse, bomb blast, warfare

36
Q

natural disaster + examples

A

natural disaster is caused by natural forces

flood, cyclone, earthquake, tsunami, epidemics, volcanic eruptions

37
Q

Open disaster

A

number of unknown individuals for whom no prior records or descriptive data are available.

thorough investigation is required to obtain an accurate potential victim list in order to commence DVI procedures

It is difficult to obtain information about the actual number of victims following such events.
Essentially don’t know who or how many in an OPEN disaster
Information is hard to get quickly

38
Q

Closed disaster

A

number of individuals belonging to a fixed, identifiable group

(e.g. aircraft crash with passenger list)
e.g. white island eruption had passenger list
comparative ante mortem data can be obtained more quickly

39
Q

Open and closed disasters

A

Combinations of these two forms may occur (e.g. aircraft crash in a residential area)

40
Q

Initial analysis of the disaster

A

Scene examination first …
1 - Area extent of the scene & numbers of dead - look at how extensive/big the scene is
2. State of the corpses - for example in the Tsunami context…were they all subject to water? Warm water? High impact zone?
3. Evaluation – how long will victim identification take? - water makes it difficult for fingerprints because skin comes off
4. DVI responders – Police / Coroner / NZSFO / Military
(also red cross can often be involved)
5. Body recovery (Composition and number of teams)
6. Transportation of corpses.
7. Storage (refrigeration) - dependent on how many bodies you have

41
Q

Organisation of people at a disaster

A

Central Emergency Rescue unit –> Recover and treat survivors
Central Investigation Unit–> Evidence Collection and Scene-of-Crime.
Victim identification unit–> Body recovery and evidence collection - This is what forensic anthropologists, biologists etc belong to, collecting the evidence (then they specifically become members of the post mortem team within the Disaster Victim Identification Unit)
Disaster Investigation Unit–> Determining the cause(s) of the disaster, TAIC: Transport Accident Investigation Commission, CAA: Civil Aviation Authority NZ

42
Q

what part are forensic scientists part of in the organisation of people at the disaster?

A

Victim identification unit - body recovery and evidence collection

43
Q

Disaster victim identification unit teams ?

A

Management and Communications –> Organisation, liaison, communications
Body recovery and Evidence collection –> Includes body parts, & personal effects from extended area eg: hotels.
AM Team –> Collect antemortem data (records, photos, e- media, fingerprints, DNA)
PM Team –> Postmortem dental, medical and forensic data (fingerprints, DNA)
Reconciliation Team –> Matching AM and PM data
Care and Counselling Team –> Medical and psychological care for DVI personnel
Identification Board –> makes final decisions on victim IDs & certifies these decisions on the DVI form.

44
Q

What team in the disaster victim identification unit are forensic scientist specifically?

A

Postmortem team (PM team)

45
Q

The DVI process phases summarised

A

Victim data (phase 1 scene and phase 2 post mortem) + missing person data (phase 3 antemortem) = identification (phase 4 reconciliation)

46
Q

5 DVI phases

A 
Phase 1 = scene 
phase 2 = postmortem 
phase 3 = antemortem 
phase 4 = reconciliation 
phase 5 = debrief
47
Q

Phase 1 =

A

the scene

48
Q

phase 2 =

A

postmortem

49
Q

phase 3 =

A

antemortem

50
Q

phase 4 =

A

reconciliation

51
Q

phase 5 =

A

debrief

52
Q

central emergency rescue unit

A

Recover and treat survivors

53
Q

central investigation unit

A

Evidence Collection and Scene-of-Crime.

54
Q

victim identification uni

A

Victim identification unit–> Body recovery and evidence collection - This is what forensic anthropologists, biologists etc belong to, collecting the evidence (then they specifically become members of the post mortem team within the Disaster Victim Identification Unit)

55
Q

disaster investigation unit

A

Disaster Investigation Unit–> Determining the cause(s) of the disaster, TAIC: Transport Accident Investigation Commission, CAA: Civil Aviation Authority NZ

56
Q

phase 2 = postmortem

A

All human remains recovered from the scene are to be processed, examined and stored at a mortuary which has been selected for the operation, pending formal identification and release by the Coroner or legal authority. This mortuary may be an established mortuary or one which has been constructed temporarily for the operation.

Human remains are examined by specialists to detect forensic evidence to help indenting the victim and this can include…
Fingerprints - if available they are highly reliable but can be of limited value because most people’s fingerprints are not on record
Odontology - provides one of the most reliable forms of identification as they are highly durable and most people have dental records
DNA profiling - direct comparisons can be made from a victim and a profile taken from their home, indirect comparisons can also be made using the parents DNA
Physical indication such as tattoos, scares or surgical implants
Note that visual identification is not considered to be accurate

57
Q

phase 3 = antemortem

A

Dental and medical records, fingerprints and DNA are recovered from the victims homes or provided by family members

58
Q

phase 4 = reconciliation

A

Once the PM and AM data is collected, a team of specialists compares and reconciles the two sets of information to identify the victims

59
Q

Why do you do victim identification?

A

4 Cs - certainty, closure, criminality, cash

60
Q

4Cs of why we do victim identification - Certainty

A

Accidental victim substitution (Erebus)

Correct remains returned to relatives

61
Q

4Cs of why we do victim identification - Closure

A

Location & nature of death

Begin grieving process –> Give closure around the body

62
Q

4Cs of why we do victim identification - criminality

A

Gunshot / explosives residue, location of victim
If it is a mass disaster with criminal intent, then you want to help figure out the sequence of events to help the court process

63
Q

4Cs of why we do victim identification - cash

A

Medicolegal requirement for wills / insurance / business affair (need this for legal reasons)

64
Q

Why do we need protocols?

A

Need protocols to stop body mixups, prevents things going wrong

65
Q

Requirements for methods of identification …

A

Must be scientifically sound (evidence-based not opinion-based) –> Research based, good enough for coroner, court and the families

Reliable (reproducible, low false positive / false negative rates)

Applicable under field conditions

  • Large amounts of manpower required to identify victims since visual identification is not reliable
  • Able to be applied in different weather conditions

Capable of being implemented within a reasonable period of time (?cost) i.e. Cost-benefit ratio

All possible methods should be employed.

Identification based solely on photographs is notoriously unreliable and should be avoided

Visual identification by a witness usually insufficient for positive identification

  • Body traumatised, visual comparison is impossible
  • Relatives unable to cope with psychological stress of deceased victims.
66
Q

Primary methods of identification …

A

The primary and most reliable means of identification are friction ridge analysis, comparative dental analysis and DNA analysis

67
Q

Secondary methods of identification …

A

includes personal description, medical findings, tattoos as well as property and clothing found on the body

68
Q

summary of the postmortem data you get

A

Fingerprints – if available, these are highly reliable, but as most people’s fingerprints are not on record they can be of limited value;

Odontology – or dental examination. Teeth provide one of the most reliable forms of identification as they are highly durable and most people have dental records;

DNA profiling – direct comparisons can be made from a victim and a profile taken from their home, for example from a hair brush. Indirect comparisons can also be made using the parents’ DNA
Not everyones DNA is on record unless convicted felon/awaiting trial or a police officer

Physical indications – tattoos, scars or surgical implants which may be unique to the victim.

Visual identification is not considered to be accurate

69
Q

Identification of unskeletonised remains

A

Extensive mutilation of the body also increases difficulty of making positive identification

can look at morphological features such as height, weight, eye colour, hair colour+structure+distribution etc

Fingerprints - In the early post-mortem stages, fingerprints can be obtained from a corpse in much the same manner as from a live individual i.e. through inking or powdering them
Usually done nan the final post mortem stages of the examination

Establishing sex of victim - if it is not possible to determine the sex of the deceased through direct observation then DNA profiling can normally be used

External examination of the corpse can show certain features specific to that individual that are potentially useful in establishing a positive ID … Tattoos, Scars, Skin blemishes (moles, birthmarks), Pierced body parts, Circumcision, Amputated limbs or midgets

70
Q

Identification of skeletonised remains

A

This indentifcation process is usually carried out by a forensic anthropologist
More difficult that non-skeltalised remains of an individual
Use anatomical knowledge
need to verify the bones are human first !!

71
Q

Pink Interpol forms =

A

postmortem data

72
Q

Yellow Interpol forms =

A

antemortem data

73
Q

Fresher the corpse =

A

Fresher the corpse = the greater the chance of obtaining accurate information that will potentially lead to the identification of the deceased

74
Q

How culture/beliefs impacts science …

A

Science needs to be communicated to the public –> Religious and cultural considerations, while important in their own right, cannot be allowed to compromise the legal processes, as local authorities and investigating agencies remain bound by relevant legislation. However, during the immediate ante-mortem response, an attempt to determine the number and type of religious and cultural groups should be made.

75
Q

what was the spread of disaster for the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004?

A

14 countries across 2 continents i.e. it was a large scale disaster

76
Q

how many people overall died in the Boxing Day tsunami?

A

230, 000 dead overall

77
Q

Thailand - how many killed?

A

5303 killed; 42% foreigners from 22 countries, 37% Thai, 21% unidentified
Lots of tourists around this time, so lots of countries involved outside of the physical impact zone of the tsunami
Over 1,000 German and Swedish tourists were killed
50 Thai dentists joined by DVI teams from 30 countries
After 15 months, 90% of 2044 foreign & 75% of 1193 Thai victims identified

78
Q

After 15 months …

A

After 15 months, 90% of 2044 foreign & 75% of 1193 Thai victims identified

79
Q

After 15 months …

A

After 15 months, 90% of 2044 foreign & 75% of 1193 Thai victims identified

80
Q

antemortem data and the tsunami

A

Dental main thing used, lots of manpower sorting through records, not many records for thai individuals so not as useful for these individuals
Living relatives swabbed
Then fingerprints and lastly DNA came into play when all others were exhausted

forensics 201 (19 decks)

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