A
REPORT proposes that a DNA repository for ADF aircrew be established
at the Institute of Aviation Medicine in South Australia.
The
report reviews disaster victim identification (DVI) and examines
the role of DNA in the identification of human remains after aircraft
accidents.
Captain
Adrian Smith, based at the RAAF Institute of Aviation Medicine,
said the DNA repository would aid identification of human remains
without causing additional distress to grieving next of kin.
“Asking
a grieving family to find and give up a personal item of the deceased
to aid in DNA matching can cause additional distress,” he
said.
“The
only other way we can do it is to obtain a reference sample of
DNA while people are still alive.”
The
proposal rises out of a review of aircrew fatalities in the ADF.
“We’ve
had 144 fatal accidents since 1945 and we’ve had 301 fatalities,
of which 248 were aircrew fatalities.”
After reviewing 117 autopsy reports, CAPT Smith found 33 per cent
could not be positively identified.
“The
fact that a third of them [the sample of 117] couldn’t be
positively identified might have been acceptable in the 1970s
but a modern coroner would almost certainly require DNA to positively
establish an identity,” he said.
DNA
repositories have been established overseas – the UK has
a voluntary system for aircrew and the US Defense Department has
a universal, compulsory system in which all members must participate
to be deployable.
For
legislative reasons, any Australian system would be voluntary,
with the member able to withdraw consent at any time. Records
would be kept in tamper-proof containers in a safe at a secure
location for release to the relevant state coroner as required.
The
blood sample would be stored on a specially treated card that
would then be dried, bar coded, closed and signed by the member
and a duplicate bar code attached to the envelope.
“The
bottom line is we can minimise the stress for a grieving family
by eliminating the need for them to be involved in identification
of remains, and that has to be a good thing.”
