Depending on the magnitude and nature of a disaster, identifying the victims can be a complex task that requires coordinated work by disaster victim identification (DVI) teams based on pre-established protocols. Thus, the analysis of fingerprints has been presented as a method to establish, when possible, the identity of the victims during the DVI process. This study discusses the importance of this primary method of identification and the results obtained in four different disasters in which Brazilian DVI teams were involved: the Air France Flight AF447 plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean, floods and mudslides in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the LaMia Flight 2933 plane crash in Colombia, and the tailings dam collapse in Brumadinho, Brazil. Here, we also report the use of the automatic fingerprint capture and identification system, called Alethia, developed by the Federal Police of Brazil and used in the victim identification process in the two latter events mentioned above. KEY POINTS• This article presents four different disasters that occurred in Brazil and overseas and involved Brazilian DVI teams in the identification process, focusing on fingerprint identification (Air France Flight AF447, floods and mudslides in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, LaMia Flight 2933, and the Brumadinho tailings dam collapse). • This article also describes the evolution of the DVI process in Brazil, including a description of the technology currently used by Brazilian fingerprint experts (Alethia). • This article reports how the Alethia System was used in the disasters and how it optimized the human identification process when compared to traditional methods.

Este artigo tem como objetivo compreender as principais interações e conflitos entre os atores e instituições do sistema de justiça criminal. Para tanto, toma como objeto de pesquisa as investigações pertinentes aos crimes de latrocínio do município de Goiânia no ano de 2017. Busca-se entender, por meio da análise dos inquéritos policiais e de entrevistas em profundidade, o modo como os profissionais que atuam nas diversas etapas do processo criminal concebem a investigação de latrocínios em Goiânia e como percebem sua própria atuação e a dos diferentes profissionais nesse processo.This paper aims to understand the main interactions and conflicts between actors and institutions in the criminal justice system. Therefore, The Crime of Latrocínio in the City of Goiânia: Interactions and Conflicts at the Crime Scene examines the investigations relevant to the crimes of robberies followed by murder in the city of Goiânia in 2017. The study aims to understand, through the analysis of police inquiries and in-depth interviews, how the professionals who work in the different stages of the criminal process conceive the investigation of robberies followed by murder in Goiânia and how they perceive their own performance and that of the different professionals in this process.