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Vem är värd att identifieras? : En studie av resonemangen bakom beslutet att utesluta forensisk genetisk genealogi för identifiering av avlidna brottsoffer i Sverige

Röriksson, Minna LU (2026) ABMM34 20261
Division of ALM, Digital Cultures and Publishing Studies
Abstract
Who’s Worth Identifying examines the reasonings behind the decision to exclude the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, or FIGG, to identify unidentified human remains belonging to victims of crime in Sweden. After FIGG was used to solve a double homicide in Linköping in 2020 the Swedish Police Authority published a report on its use. After the publishing of the report the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection, IMY, declared that there weren’t any legal grounds for the continued use of the method until laws were amended. In 2022 the issue was added to a preexisting national committee focused on the expansion of biometric modalities used by law enforcement. The use of FIGG for identifying unidentified human remains was not... (More)
Who’s Worth Identifying examines the reasonings behind the decision to exclude the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, or FIGG, to identify unidentified human remains belonging to victims of crime in Sweden. After FIGG was used to solve a double homicide in Linköping in 2020 the Swedish Police Authority published a report on its use. After the publishing of the report the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection, IMY, declared that there weren’t any legal grounds for the continued use of the method until laws were amended. In 2022 the issue was added to a preexisting national committee focused on the expansion of biometric modalities used by law enforcement. The use of FIGG for identifying unidentified human remains was not included in the assignment despite the Swedish Police Authority requesting it.
This paper analyses all the legal documents involved in this legal process, from the national committee’s directives to the proposed draft to try to ascertain the reasons or influences behind the exclusion of the identification of human remains as this was not clearly stated at any point in the process. Through analysis several different influencing factors were identified, the two biggest being proportionality and legislation within Sweden and the EU. A big issue seems to lie in the fact that currently all commercial genetic genealogy databases that allow access by law enforcement are based in the United States, resulting in much more lax privacy protection than within the EU. There is also some indication of thoughts along the lines of who ought to be identified through such invasive means and therefore a subconscious hierarchical sorting of people. (Less)
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author
Röriksson, Minna LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Who’s Worth Identifying? : A study of the reasonings behind the decision to exclude the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy to identify unidentified deceased victims of crime in Sweden
course
ABMM34 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG), Unidentified human remains (UHR), Archival Science, arkivvetenskap
language
Swedish
id
9229143
date added to LUP
2026-06-16 09:37:44
date last changed
2026-06-16 09:37:44
@misc{9229143,
  abstract     = {{Who’s Worth Identifying examines the reasonings behind the decision to exclude the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, or FIGG, to identify unidentified human remains belonging to victims of crime in Sweden. After FIGG was used to solve a double homicide in Linköping in 2020 the Swedish Police Authority published a report on its use. After the publishing of the report the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection, IMY, declared that there weren’t any legal grounds for the continued use of the method until laws were amended. In 2022 the issue was added to a preexisting national committee focused on the expansion of biometric modalities used by law enforcement. The use of FIGG for identifying unidentified human remains was not included in the assignment despite the Swedish Police Authority requesting it.
This paper analyses all the legal documents involved in this legal process, from the national committee’s directives to the proposed draft to try to ascertain the reasons or influences behind the exclusion of the identification of human remains as this was not clearly stated at any point in the process. Through analysis several different influencing factors were identified, the two biggest being proportionality and legislation within Sweden and the EU. A big issue seems to lie in the fact that currently all commercial genetic genealogy databases that allow access by law enforcement are based in the United States, resulting in much more lax privacy protection than within the EU. There is also some indication of thoughts along the lines of who ought to be identified through such invasive means and therefore a subconscious hierarchical sorting of people.}},
  author       = {{Röriksson, Minna}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Vem är värd att identifieras? : En studie av resonemangen bakom beslutet att utesluta forensisk genetisk genealogi för identifiering av avlidna brottsoffer i Sverige}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}