Nearly a quarter of a century after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the French newspaper "Le Figaro" revealed that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York, in collaboration with the New York Police Department's Criminal Investigation Bureau, has identified a new victim using genetic genealogy.

It noted that this technique combines DNA analysis with research in genealogy records.

It confirmed that the new victim is an adult woman, whose family preferred not to disclose her name. The number of officially identified victims of the World Trade Center has risen to 1,654, while the identities of about 1,100 victims remain unknown.

Genetic genealogy relies on matching genetic information with DNA databases and narrowing down the search to identify the person. This technique gains particular importance when traditional methods fail to achieve a direct match between DNA samples and family members.

Jason Graham, the Chief Medical Examiner in New York, stated that using this methodology represents a significant advancement in efforts to identify the victims of the World Trade Center, noting that the technology was not advanced enough 25 years ago to achieve such results. The technique has also contributed to solving cold criminal cases that remained unresolved due to the lack of clear identities.

Authorities are betting on the possibility of achieving additional results, as estimates suggest there are 47 genetic profiles that may be suitable for investigation. However, experts warn that the technique will not be applicable to all cases due to the nature of the remaining samples.

Authorities consider identifying the victims' identities a moral and humanitarian obligation towards their families. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirms that work will continue to identify the remaining victims.

On the other hand, this technique raises legal and ethical debates in other countries, such as France, where the Constitutional Council rejected its use in criminal investigations due to insufficient guarantees for protecting private life. The case of the recently identified September 11 victim reveals a paradox; while scientific advancement gives families of the victims hope in knowing the fate of their loved ones, it opens a discussion about the limits of using genetic data and protecting privacy, especially in Europe.