Online Event: Using genetics to fight child trafficking
Published on April 27, 2026
THE EVENT
Thousands of children go missing or are separated from their families worldwide every year, often in contexts of migration, conflict, or exploitation. In many cases, they lack any reliable identification, making reunification with their families extremely difficult and allowing trafficking networks to operate across borders with relative impunity. Addressing this gap requires tools that can link identity and kinship even in the absence of documentation.
This online event will explore how forensic genetics is being used to respond to this challenge through an international framework that builds DNA-based reference databases and supports authorities in identifying and reconnecting missing children with their families.
The session was recorded on May 7, 2026 and was presented by Professor José A. Lorente, Director of the Laboratory of Genetic Identification at the University of Granada.
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THE SPEAKER
Professor Jose A. Lorente, M.D., Ph.D.
Full Professor of Forensic Medicine and Director of the Laboratory of Genetic Identification (LABIGEN) at the University of Granada, Spain. His work focuses on applying advanced genetic technologies to forensic science, with a strong commitment to human rights, supporting families of missing persons and authorities in numerous countries.
He founded the “Phoenix Program of Spain” (1999), the first national genetic identification program for missing persons, and the international “DNA-PROKIDS Program (www.dna-prokids.org) (2004) for identifying missing children worldwide.