As an expert in forensic odontology and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI), my work focuses on identifying individuals in complex and often tragic contexts, where every detail can make a difference. The Forensic Medicine Section of the University of Turin (Italy) is already at the forefront of several initiatives aimed at promoting best practices in personal identification. These include the remote and innovative humanitarian forensic odontology service called Virdentopsy (TM), information campaigns called IdentifyMe, and even a free app that utilises selfies, Selfie ForensicID.
Every individual has the right to an identity, a name, and dignity, both in life and in death. In situations involving irregular migration, these fundamental rights are often compromised, and dental information is frequently overlooked in the identification process.
In the complex and tragic contexts of migratory flows, my work has taught me that innovation is an ethical necessity. Through years of research, field practice, and humanitarian experience in identifying and assisting migrants – such as in Lampedusa (Sicily) – I propose using social media profiles, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as a resource for retrieving complementary dental information for forensic purposes and family reunifications. Organizations like the Italian Red Cross and other national Red Cross societies already perform such tasks, but I believe this remains an underestimated aspect of the migrant reception process in Europe. Currently, it is not required by the Police except in specific cases. However, integrating this practice could provide multiple benefits, both for security reasons and humanitarian purposes.
Imagine a migrant departing without documents, carrying only the hope of a better life. Although their identity may seem lost, it is preserved in social media: in posts, photos, and family connections. These ethically collected data can become essential tools to confirm personal histories, facilitate family reunifications, and assist in migrant disaster victim identification (MDVI) by analyzing facial or smile photographs shared within friends’ networks on Facebook or among followers of migrants’ social profiles. Digital images, such as selfies or group photos, as repeatedly emphasized, can provide individualizing dental details: positional anomalies, diastemas, restorations, and agenesis.
In the context of irregular migration, ante-mortem clinical documentation is often unavailable or irretrievable, leading some to believe that forensic odontology is unnecessary in identifying victims of migration. However, photographs published on social media become valuable resources for comparing digital images with available clinical data, effectively confirming or excluding identifications.
Integrating social media with forensic sciences is not a miraculous solution; however, it is a necessary step forward. In an era where migratory flows represent one of the most complex global challenges, innovative tools like this can reunite dispersed families, identify nameless bodies, and restore dignity to victims.
Forensic odontologists, along with other professionals in the field, have a duty to explore all possible avenues to ensure human rights and return an identity to nameless bodies (source).
Registering migrants’ social media profiles during identification at the time of arrival introduces, in my opinion, a new paradigm for forensic odontology. When combined with advanced dental identification techniques, artificial intelligence, and facial recognition, this approach represents a unique opportunity to improve identification processes and promote respect for the human rights of the unnamed.
Author:
Prof. Emilio Nuzzolese, DDS, LLB, MSc, PhD
Medico-Odontoiatra Forense, Associato di Medicina Legale,
Forensic Odontologist, Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine,
Head of Human Identification and Forensic Odontology Laboratory.
Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin