LAUSR

Abstract Santa Catarina is a small, developed, and relatively safe state in South Brazil. Despite having positive social economic indicators, it still faces multiple challenges regarding forensic practices for personal identification. The objective of this paper is to discuss the recent advances and current challenges in the region, from the perspectives of anthropological and dental postmortem human identification, missing persons, and disaster victim identification (DVI) from 2019 to 2021. The recent creation of a Forensic Anthropology Sector (SAF) in the state’s official forensic institution (Polícia Científica—PCI) has significantly improved identification of unidentified remains and optimised resources available for DNA analysis. However, SAF is still quite understaffed, which negatively affects the recovery of skeletal material, its preparation, and the time needed for filing reports. Santa Catarina has passed legislation for missing persons in 2015, 4 years prior to the sanction of federal laws implementing the national policy for the disappeared. Nonetheless, a lack of integration between stakeholders remains a problem that PCI has tried to circumvent with the Conecta Programme, a multidisciplinary and integrated initiative between families of the missing persons, police agencies, and the Public Ministry. The programme aims to collect not only reference DNA samples, but also relevant anthropological and dental data. It also offers facial progression services in cases of disappearances that occurred many years ago. Despite a history of disasters in the state, PCI still needs to implement international DVI standards at an institutional level. Recent training on Phase 1 DVI procedures, integrated with other responding institutions, indicates better preparation for future disasters. There are many challenges ahead for Santa Catarina’s forensic institution and professionals that have yet to be addressed, but the overall situation on routine personal identification, missing persons initiatives, and DVI has improved over the last 2 years. Key points Over the last 2 years, the Santa Catarina state in South Brazil has experienced significant improvements in personal identification procedures, missing persons policies, and DVI capacitation. The creation of the Forensic Anthropology Sector (SAF) in October 2020 (which also houses dental postmortem examinations) in the state’s official forensic institution (PCI) has established an alternative for quick, low-cost personal identification in cases of unidentified remains, in addition to optimising resources available to DNA analysis. PCI’s Programme Conecta has been locally promoting improved integration of missing persons’ stakeholders with the newly instituted national policy for the disappeared in Brazil. Despite having a history of disasters and a recent first integrated training on Phase 1 DVI procedures, Santa Catarina state still needs to implement DVI procedures at an institutional level.