Approccio multidisciplinare forense a casi di identificazioni complesse: il caso del crollo del cimitero di Camogli

Identifying a body is a complex procedure, especially in the case where many corpses are involved, as is the case in mass disasters. Recognizing the identity of corpses is an ethical, cultural, administrative and legal obligation. There are several identification protocols, the best known of which is Interpol's DVI, which are well applicable in cases where data collection is relatively easy, but there are no shared strategies for cases where critical data collection issues are present. The collapse of the Camogli cemetery on February 22nd, 2021, created a special situation in which it was necessary to identify a large number of corpses in highly variable conditions, several years after death. Identification procedures were assigned to the Forensic Medicine Section of “IRCCS Policlinico San Martino” in Genoa. To this end, a specific operational protocol was developed, adapted based on that proposed by Interpol, taking into account the many critical issues related to both data collection and limited resources. The key points of the elaborated operational protocol can be summarized in 4 phases: (I) analysis of the disaster scene and organization of operations; (II) compilation of post-mortem (PM) forms by Forensic Doctors with the information learned through the study of corpses; (III) compilation of ante-mortem (AM) forms by relatives with pre-decease information about their loved ones; (IV) comparison of databases formed on the basis of data from PM forms and AM forms, respectively; genetic investigations in cases of non-matching. This protocol enabled the achievement of more than satisfactory results in light of the complexity of the concrete case, with recognitions obtained through both genetic and anthropological techniques.