Bone test may not reveal exact age

Forensic experts, warned that a bone test only gives out the age range and not the accurate age of a person.

A bone ossification test will be conducted on Thursday to determine the age of the domestic help rescued on Monday night from a Vasant Kunj flat.

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Forensic experts, however, warned that a bone test only gives out the age range and not the accurate age of a person.

The test involves analysing the bones using X-rays by a team consisting of radiologists, dentists, forensic experts, internal medicine doctors, etc.

“The test is never conducted by one doctor. There is always a team of experts from several departments. A bone test is just one of the mechanisms. Apart from that, a physical examination and other scans are conducted to determine the age of a person,” said a senior doctor of forensic medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

“However, there is still a chance of not getting the accurate age,” the doctor said.

Doctors treating the girl at New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital said they had not yet received any information regarding the test.

They said they cannot proceed until there was a formal request from the police.

“A protocol needs to be followed in such cases. Since we have not received any request yet, we can’t comment on it,” said a senior doctor at Safdarjung.