But among family members of missing persons in the context of state violence: an impossible process? – Review of the article by Bergignon, Dermitzel, and Katz

The authors of the article examined, through a narrative review of the literature, the consequences of enforced disappearance in the context of state violence on the families of the missing, as well as the grieving process of the families. The study focused on families whose loved ones were forcibly disappeared during the dictatorships in Latin America. The authors wish to emphasize that disappearances that occur in the context of state violence occur in a climate of confusion and oppression. Families are not only dealing with the disappearance of their loved ones, but also with trauma and real threat. Within this framework, emotions such as survivor guilt, guilt for failing to protect their loved ones, and a sense of helplessness are common. Specifically in dictatorial regimes, there is a bond of silence around enforced disappearances, so that family members often feel threatened to speak about their loved ones. Finally, horror and terror make it difficult for families to seek information about their loved ones.

Disappearance creates a new space between life and death, between presence and absence. In cases of enforced disappearance within a state framework, the official authorities in the country do not provide any information about the time and circumstances of the disappearance, to the point that it sometimes seems as if the missing person never lived. Without a body and without information about the circumstances of the disappearance, it is not possible to say goodbye to and mourn the missing person, and instead there is a vague loss that is mainly accompanied by uncertainty and doubt. In such a situation, families find themselves faced with an impossible choice: to believe that their loved one is still alive, or to consider him dead. This dilemma is described as the “duality of life and death” – on the one hand, the assumption that the missing person is alive means that the family is holding onto false hopes. On the other hand, the assumption that the missing person is dead, without any proof, arouses guilt, with the feeling that the family has “killed” him in their thoughts. On the other hand, while continuing to search for the missing person keeps him alive in the public consciousness, the search over the years exacts high emotional, economic, and social costs. In a politically motivated enforced disappearance, the state does not recognize the absence and does not assist the family in the search, and the entire burden of responsibility for continuing the search and deciding whether the person is alive or dead falls on the family. This impossible situation produces profound effects of distrust, hopelessness, anger, and fear. Families may also experience secondary traumatization.

The researchers continue to describe the psychological and social consequences of absence on families. First, on a social level, in dictatorial regimes there is a social stigma regarding the families of the missing, as well as a fear of being associated with them, so that many families report severing ties with the environment, a sense of isolation, and shame. On a psychological level, family members of missing persons are at increased risk of suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. At the family level, the impact of dealing with the disappearance of a family member may be the disintegration of the family system. Disintegration may occur due to disagreement among family members regarding the dilemma of duality (when some family members believe that the missing person is alive and some believe that the missing person is dead). Also, in some cases, the search efforts eliminate any other family routine, so that the ties between family members become weaker. Furthermore, the new situation can lead to a change in the role played by each family member, thus changing the family structure.

From the literature review, the authors conclude that the psychological, social, and familial effects of enforced absence on the families of the missing are profound and serious. The family members of the missing are forced to deal with infinite uncertainty, which time does not alleviate, and even the opposite. The researchers seek to refer to these effects as torture, and claim that the families of the missing live in a state of continuous torture.
Finally, the researchers point out factors that can help families of the missing cope:
1. Knowing the truth: Families who receive information about their loved ones or receive their bodies for burial feel a certain relief.
2. Memorials: Even in the case where there is no body to bury, a memorial may serve as a meeting point where one can gather and remember the missing person, in a way that supports an adaptive grieving process.
3. Feeling a part: Families who participate in associations of families of the missing can find a sense of recognition, camaraderie, and partnership.
4. Strengthening family ties: Restoring family routines and creating open dialogue within the family can support the grieving process and processing the loss.