@article{ref1,
title="Age assessment in unaccompanied minors: assessing uniformity of protocols across Europe",
journal="International journal of legal medicine",
year="2024",
author="Cummaudo, Marco and Obertová, Zuzana and Lynnerup, Niels and Petaros, Anja and de Boer, Hans and Baccino, Eric and Steyn, Maryna and Cunha, Eugenia and Ross, Ann and Adalian, Pascal and Kranioti, Elena and Fracasso, Tony and Ferreira, Maria Teresa and Lefevre, Philippe and Tambuzzi, Stefano and Peckitt, Robin and Campobasso, Carlo Pietro and Ekizoglu, Oguzhan and De Angelis, Danilo and Cattaneo, Cristina",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
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.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0937-9827",
doi="10.1007/s00414-024-03157-8",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03157-8"
}