Contribution of Forensic Anthropology to Identification Process in Croatia: Examples of Victims Recovered in Wells

Šlaus, Mario and Strinović, Davor and Petrovečki, Vedrana and Vyroubal, Vlasta (2007) Contribution of Forensic Anthropology to Identification Process in Croatia: Examples of Victims Recovered in Wells. Croatian medical journal, 48 (4). pp. 503-512. ISSN 0353-9504 (Print) 1332-8166 (Electronic)

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Croatian abstract

Cilj: Opisati doprinos forenzičke antropologije iskapanju, analizi i identifikaciji žrtava Domovinskog rata pronađenih u bunarima. ----- Postupci: Od 1996 do danas u 13 bunara pronađeni su posmrtni ostatci 61 osobe. U 6 bunara pronađeni su ostatci jedne osobe, u 1 bunaru ostatci dvije osobe, a u 6 bunara ostatci 3 ili više osoba. Većina bunara, u kojima je pronađeno 90,2% (55/61) žrtava, nalazi se unutar radijusa od 4 km od hrvatsko-srpske granice. ----- Rezultati: Forenzički antropolozi re-individualizirali su 26/61 (42,6%) osoba iz skeletoniziranih i pomiješanih ostataka, pružili osnovne biološke podatke o spolu, godinama u trenutku smrti i visini žrtava (n=37), i ostvarili pozitivnu identifikaciju prepoznavanjem jedinstvenih obilježja na kosturu (predsmrtni lomovi i dokazi o kirurškim zahvatima) u 3/37 (8,1%) slučaja. Analiza traume koji su napravili forenzički antropolozi pomogla je utvrđivanju uzroka smrti u 38/61 (62,3%) osoba i mogućeg uzroka smrti u 18/61 (29,5%) osoba. Najčešća trauma koja je bila uzrok smrti (27/38, 71,0%) u žrtava pronađenih u bunarima bila je jedna prostrijelna rana iz vatrenog oružja. ----- Zaključak: Forenzički antroplozi u bliskoj suradnji s forenzičkim odontolozima, forenzičkim patolozima, kriminolozima, i molekularnim biolozima znatno su pridonijeli analizi trauma i identifikaciji ratnih žrtava pronađenih u bunarima.

English abstract

AIM: To describe the contribution of forensic anthropology to the recovery, analysis, and identification of victims from the 1991-1995 war in Croatia recovered in wells. ----- METHODS: From 1996 to the present, human remains of a total of 61 individuals have been recovered from 13 wells. Six wells contained the remains of a single individual, one well contained the remains of 2 individuals, and 6 wells contained the remains 3 or more individuals. The majority of wells, containing 90.2% (55/61) of recovered individuals, were located within a 4 km radius of the Croatian-Serbian border. ----- RESULTS: Forensic anthropologists re-individualized 26/61 (42.6%) individuals out of skeletonized and commingled remains, provided basic biological data on sex, age-at-death, and stature in all identifications (n=37), as well as established positive identification by recognizing unique skeletal features (antemortem fractures and skeletal evidence of antemortem surgical interventions) in 3/37 (8.1%) cases. Trauma analyses carried out by forensic anthropologists contributed to the determination of the cause of death in 38/61 (62.3%) individuals and to the probable cause of death in an additional 18/61 (29.5%) individuals. The most frequent (27/38, 71.0%) type of trauma causing death in individuals recovered from wells was a single gunshot wound. ----- CONCLUSION: Forensic anthropologists, collaborating closely with forensic pathologists, forensic odontologists, forensic radiologists, criminologists, and molecular biologists contributed significantly to trauma analysis and identification of war victims recovered from wells.

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