ABSTRACT
The police receive many calls relating to missing persons who have disappeared without explanation, are very vulnerable or dangerous or are not at a place where they are expected or required to be (also referred to as an ‘absent person’ rather than a missing person; see ACPO, 2013). Each missing person report is categorised based on an assessment of risk factors such as vulnerability, suicide risk or circumstances of disappearance, and actions appropriate for each category initiated. For the highest risk categories, samples for identification purposes will be collated in the early stages of the investigation to avoid degradation and loss of evidence. While the majority of persons reported missing return soon after their disappearance, in a small number of cases the requirement of forensic identification of unidentified remains may be necessary to reunite a missing person with their families. It is in those cases that the importance of identification evidence becomes apparent.
