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

Autori
Šlaus, Mario ; Strinović, Davor ; Petrovečki, Vedrana ; Vyroubal, Vlasta

Izvornik
Croatian Medical Journal (0353-9504) 48 (2007), 4; 503-512

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Croatia; forensic anthropology; 1991-1995 war victims; wells
(Hrvatska; forenzična antropologija; žrtve rata 1991-1995; bunari)

Sažetak
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. 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. 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. 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.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Temeljne medicinske znanosti, Arheologija

POVEZANOST RADA