While the issue of missing people is well-documented, the problems surrounding the identification of bodies are less visible. 189 unidentified bodies have been found in London since 1966, and despite a sharp decline in the numbers between 2000 and 2020, the problem remains. Read on to see the numbers behind unidentified bodies, or click here to read more about the problem in London.
This heat map of London, divided by borough, shows the number of bodies found since 1966 which remain unidentified to this day. Tower Hamlets tops the list, with 18 bodies still unidentified. This accounts for nearly 10% of the overall number of unidentified bodies found in London (189). Of these 18 cases, 11 individuals were suspected to have drowned. The River Thames thus poses a significant risk factor for the top four boroughs: following Tower Hamlets is Southwark (17 bodies), Greenwich (14), and Westminster (13), with 13, 8, and 2 cases respectively involving suspected drowning. Harrow, Haringey, Merton and Redbridge were the only four boroughs in which no bodies remain unidentified. [JC]
This data reflects the inconsistency with which unidentified bodies in London have been found and documented. Currently, a plausible theory for the spike in the 70s and 80s has not been determined, however, the decrease in the number of unidentified bodies found since the 80s is a product of increased investment into technology that aids in body identification. In the past decade in particular, these practices have advanced in a major way and the progress is reflected in the significant drop in the number of unidentified bodies found in London from 2010-2020. Read on for more information. [JA]
The graph above shows the number of unidentified bodies over the decades per season. In the 1960s, the numbers are relatively low in all seasons. Over the next couple of decades, up to the 1980s, the numbers rise in each season, with significantly high numbers in the summer and winter periods. After this decade the trend steadily decreases, as seen in the 1990s, yet it still has a high number in this decade in the summer period. In the 2000s, the highest number is in the winter season, and the 2010s show low numbers in all of the seasons. [IN]