title: Unidentified bodies/skulls found in Danish waters in the period 1992-1996.
abstract: In the period 1992-1996 a total of 89 unidentified bodies/skulls found in Danish waters were investigated at the three University Institutes of Forensic Medicine in Denmark. Males constituted 79% of the total material. Open water was the finding place in half the cases, about one-fourth was found on shore and another fourth in a harbor basin. Totally 73 bodies and one skull were identified. Danes constituted 57% of the material. Almost all non-Danes originated from countries with borders to the waters surrounding Denmark. The cause of death was in 71% stated as presumably/possibly drowning, in 5% as severe lesions (precipitation) and in 25% it could not be solved. The manner of death was in non-Danes most often stated as an accident (56%), and according to this the finding place in non-Danes most frequently was the open water (66%). In Danes suicide predominated (71%) and the finding place in Danes was almost equally distributed among open water, shores and harbors, respectively. Among the totally 74 identified cases, 83% of the total material, an initial suggestion of the identity based on effects found on the body was possible in 43 cases (58%). The final identification was performed by means of forensic dental examination in total 58 cases (78%), in Danes in 93% and in non-Danes in 59%. In the remaining 16 cases one or more of the following contributed to the final identification: information about dental condition, clothing, personal papers, X-ray photos, jewelry, tattoos/scars and fingerprints. The importance of a close collaboration between the police, the forensic pathologist and the forensic dental expert in order to reach a fair number of positive identifications is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Pathology, University Institute of Forensic Medicine, Frederik V's vej 11, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. birgitte.kringsholm@forensic.ku.dk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kringsholm
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jakobsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sejrsen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregersen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D003718:Denmark; D004332:Drowning; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012623:Seawater; D012886:Skull; D013405:Suicide; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000473:pathology