Over 300 missing persons identifications to be reviewed by US lab

The Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) has decided to review the statistical correlation of genetic results with those of relatives of missing persons in cases that were identified at The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics (CING) between 2007 and 2012.

The process will take place at the US BODE forensics laboratory.

CMP Greek Cypriot member Nestoras Nestoros told CNA that the decision was taken in January, following a 2009 mistake in the identification of a missing person by CING, which was only discovered in 2016.

According to Nestoros up until 2010 CINGe did not carry out a statistical correlation of the remains with the genealogical data base of relatives of missing persons, according to international practice.

He said that the change in process relates to 334 cases of the period between 2007-2012. The first phase of the process is expected to take up to three months. Then each case will be reviewed separately so that the statistical correlation can be confirmed to 99.95%.

Nestoros said that the identification process at CING was based solely on genetic data because there were no anthropological data due to the small number of bones being exhumed.

He called on the relatives of missing persons to be patient until all the necessary actions were taken by CMP, assuring that there was no reason for them to be concerned and that they would be informed accordingly.

According to CMP figures, the remains of 1192 people were exhumed by the end of 2016. Seven hundred forty missing persons were identified by December 31, 2016.

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