Age assessment in unaccompanied minors: assessing uniformity of protocols across Europe.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_B0CC6C803285
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Age assessment in unaccompanied minors: assessing uniformity of protocols across Europe.
Journal
International journal of legal medicine
Author(s)
Cummaudo M., Obertova Z., Lynnerup N., Petaros A., de Boer H., Baccino E., Steyn M., Cunha E., Ross A., Adalian P., Kranioti E., Fracasso T., Ferreira M.T., Lefèvre P., Tambuzzi S., Peckitt R., Campobasso C.P., Ekizoglu O., De Angelis D., Cattaneo C.
ISSN
1437-1596 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0937-9827
Publication state
Published
Issued date
05/2024
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
138
Number
3
Pages
983-995
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Age assessment of migrants is crucial, particularly for unaccompanied foreign minors, a population facing legal, social, and humanitarian challenges. Despite existing guidelines, there is no unified protocol in Europe for age assessment.The Forensic Anthropology Society of Europe (FASE) conducted a comprehensive questionnaire to understand age estimation practices in Europe. The questionnaire had sections focusing on the professional background of respondents, annual assessment numbers, requesting parties and reasons, types of examinations conducted (e.g., physical, radiological), followed protocols, age estimation methods, and questions on how age estimates are reported.The questionnaire's findings reveal extensive engagement of the forensic community in age assessment in the living, emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches. However, there seems to be an incomplete appreciation of AGFAD guidelines. Commonalities exist in examination methodologies and imaging tests. However, discrepancies emerged among respondents regarding sexual maturity assessment and reporting assessment results. Given the increasing importance of age assessment, especially for migrant child protection, the study stresses the need for a unified protocol across European countries. This can only be achieved if EU Member States wholeheartedly embrace the fundamental principles outlined in EU Directives and conduct medical age assessments aligned with recognized standards such as the AGFAD guidelines.
Keywords
Child, Humans, Minors, Europe, Forensic Anthropology, Age Determination by Skeleton, Transients and Migrants, Refugees, Age estimation, Dental development, Medical age assessment, Skeletal development, Unaccompanied minors
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
03/04/2024 9:37
Last modification date
23/04/2024 6:59
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