SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF IDENTIFYING CHILDREN WHO HAVE GONE MISSING IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Abstract

This article analyzes the challenges involved in identifying children who have gone missing in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, given the inability to conduct DNA testing. The relevance of this study stems from the armed aggression against Ukraine, which has led to mass cases of forced displacement, deportation, and the disappearance of children, whose identification is significantly complicated by the loss of access to biological samples, documents, and other sources of identification. In particular, the study examined the effectiveness of alternative forensic methods for identifying children, including fingerprint identification, forensic dental examinations, physiognomy, the use of artificial intelligence (hereinafter «AI») technologies to model age-related changes in appearance, as well as digital forensics and OSINT intelligence. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of digital traces, biometric data, medical records, and interagency cooperation as important tools for locating and confirming a child’s identity in conditions of armed conflict and occupation. The paper justifies the comprehensive use of alternative forensic identification methods, which enhance the effectiveness of locating missing children when molecular genetic methods cannot be used. It highlights the importance of analyzing digital information, open sources, electronic registries, biometric data, and medical records for establishing a body of evidence and confirming a child’s identity. Promising areas for improving the regulatory, legal, and technical mechanisms for identifying missing children have also been identified, aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of interagency cooperation and the use of modern digital technologies in forensic work.