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Presentation Overview Missing persons and disasters Dr Jan Bikker Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, University of Dundee

 Three areas are covered:  Managing missing persons in disasters  Cross-border coordination in mass fatality incidents  Relatives of missing persons

1st International Conference on Missing Children and Adults: 'Working across Borders' 18-20 June 2013, Portsmouth

Disaster response  Logistics – Mass Fatality Plans ¬ Scale (localised, multiple local areas or even countries) ¬ Disaster response and required resources ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬

Emergency services Search, Rescue & recovery forensic specialists – scene, identification Mortuary arrangements Investigation agencies

¬ Communication, documentation and coordination is the key!

Cross-border investigations  Host country may request assistance in overseas mass fatality incidents: ¬ Deployment of UK DVI team (with or without involvement of UK citizens) ¬ National DVI team/police authority/INTERPOL may request antemortem data if UK citizens are involved or non-UK citizens are involved with close relatives living in the UK ¬ MuO or mutual agreement of work terms with host country

Activation of Casualty Bureau • Who is missing? ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬

Open/Closed disaster? Volume of calls & avoidance strategy e.g. public info website Operator questions and grading policy MISPER forms and CASWEB/HOLMES Continuous cross-checking with other lists – hospital, PUI, survivors ‘Ultimate goal: ‘Actual’ missing person list Fraudulent claims!

Cross-border investigations  Cross-border coordination ¬ INTERPOL 1. International identification standards and common approach 2. Incident Response team 3. Command & International Coordination Centre

¬ Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) ¬ UK DVI ¬ Local organisations and/or NGO’s (ICRC), private sector/contracted disaster companies

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Cross-border investigations  Operational considerations ¬ Procedures and practices in host country ¬ Language ¬ National, religious and cultural “norms” ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬

Death certificate – legal requirements for presumed death? Displaying of dead/decomposed bodies for ID purposes Methods of identification Looting, stolen bodies Conflicts: ransom demands, negotiation tool

Needs of relatives  Information and active involvement ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬

Family Liaison Officer (FLO) main contact point Media cell (press releases), Foreign Commonwealth Office, Embassy Site visits  Local hospitals, mortuaries, disaster area Publications  Notice boards, leaflets Social media or relative support groups Online resources e.g. DisasterAction

‘Post-mortem’ Privacy

Family Liaison  Family Liaison Strategy ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ ¬

Families of missing persons are an integral part of the investigation UK at the forefront of Family Liaison strategy FLO is investigator, not a counsellor – ID Ante-mortem data collection Sample collection (DNA) Updates and point of contact – honest approach and managing expectations

Missing Person Information  Sources of missing person information ¬ Corporate websites e.g. Google ¬ Private (individual) initiatives Potential Issues: ¬ Up-to-date? ¬ Abuse (‘trolling’, fake death notification)

Conclusions & Contact

 Media and privacy in disasters ‘Ordinary individual lives can be mercilessly exposed to the glaring spotlight of unwanted publicity’ as ‘if the dead were celebrities’

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Often front-page news  ‘Dead bodies sell news’ ‘Life stories’ of victims  ‘Humanisation’ Digital legacy, on-line grieving and virtual memorials However, news coverage may be actively sought

Many thanks for your attention [email protected] Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification University of Dundee

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Disaster response

ACPO, 2011

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