Science & Justice最新文献

Human factors in triaging forensic items: Casework pressures and ambiguity aversion

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-02-10 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.02.001

Mohammed A. Almazrouei , Itiel E. Dror , Ruth M. Morgan , Ohad Dan , Megan Paterson , Ifat Levy

{"title":"Human factors in triaging forensic items: Casework pressures and ambiguity aversion","authors":"Mohammed A. Almazrouei , Itiel E. Dror , Ruth M. Morgan , Ohad Dan , Megan Paterson , Ifat Levy","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triaging is an important step in deciding which items collected from crime scenes to select for forensic analysis, and so subsequent examination and findings often depend on it. This study aims to evaluate the influence of casework pressures and tolerance to ambiguity on triaging of items collected from a crime scene. A realistic pressure manipulation paradigm was developed and was found to be effective in inducing feelings of pressure in participants in an online setting. This pressure manipulation did not affect triaging decisions for both triaging experts (<em>N</em> = 48) and non-experts (<em>N</em> = 98). However, the results revealed inconsistent decisions, even among experts under identical pressure conditions and comparable background demographics. The findings also suggest that ambiguity aversion is an important factor to consider, as it can play a role in early hypotheses (e.g., reaching a decisive or inconclusive impression about a case), among other considerations. This study offers valuable insight for the development of policies for more consistent forensic triaging decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 2","pages":"Pages 149-162"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Evaluating the scope of peer review in digital Forensics: Insights from Norway and the U.K.

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-02-06 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.005

Rune Kenneth Bauge , Elénore Ryser , Nina Sunde , Graeme Horsman

{"title":"Evaluating the scope of peer review in digital Forensics: Insights from Norway and the U.K.","authors":"Rune Kenneth Bauge , Elénore Ryser , Nina Sunde , Graeme Horsman","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the implementation and utilisation of peer review practices in digital forensics (DF) within Norway and the U.K. Through a comprehensive survey of 113 DF practitioners and managers, we explore the extent to which peer review is integrated into DF investigations and the variations in practices between these two countries. Our findings reveal that while both Norway and the U.K. recognize the importance of peer review in ensuring the integrity and accuracy of DF work, there is a tendency to limit peer reviews to the examination of reports, rather than extending them to more thorough verification of results and methodologies. Utilising the Peer Review Hierarchy for DF as an analytical framework, our study highlights a significant gap in the depth of peer review practices, with both countries primarily focusing on lower-level reviews that are less likely to detect critical errors. The paper discusses the implications of these findings in the field of DF, emphasising the need for more robust and comprehensive peer review mechanisms to enhance the quality and reliability of digital evidence. Furthermore, we discuss the systemic and resource-related challenges that may hinder the implementation of more extensive peer review practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 2","pages":"Pages 139-148"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143430099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Scientific imperialism : “The judge made me do it!”

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-25 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.003

Alex Biedermann , Kyriakos N. Kotsoglou

引用次数: 0

The persistence of fibres following a choreographed assault: A quantitative assessment of the influence of physical activity

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.004

Victoria Lau, Claude Roux, Xanthe Spindler

{"title":"The persistence of fibres following a choreographed assault: A quantitative assessment of the influence of physical activity","authors":"Victoria Lau, Claude Roux, Xanthe Spindler","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The persistence of textile fibres is influenced by activities undertaken by the wearer; however, few studies have exclusively explored this relationship. This study extends the authors’ work described in a previous publication on fibre transfer and aimed to address this gap by investigating the short- to medium-term persistence of textile fibres on a cotton T-shirt and polyester/cotton hoody worn by a ‘victim’ and ‘assailant’ transferred following a typical assault scenario. The number, length and spatial distribution of fibres recovered at intervals up to four hours was examined. Furthermore, the influence of performing physical activity of varying intensity on persistence behaviour was investigated.</div><div>Results showed that retentive capacity of the recipient textile bears a strong impact on fibre recovery, highlighting two distinct trends. Persistence of cotton and man-made fibres from donor hoodies recovered from T-shirts generally decreased as intensity of activity increased. In contrast, retention of T-shirt cotton on recipient hoodies appeared greatest after high intensity activity (77.5%). The confounding increased recovery in the initial hour (161.8%) indicated the important contribution of fragmentation and attributes of the donor fibre, in addition to physical activity, on persistence. The proportion of shorter fibres generally increased with time and intensity of activity. Crucially, physical activity was more strongly associated with fibre length than quantity of fibres recovered, which has potential implications on evidential value in practice.</div><div>The overall project aim was to strengthen the current understanding of fundamental mechanisms implicated in fibre transfer and persistence. This ultimately can be used to inform and support examiners to evaluate fibre findings at the activity level, thereby enhancing the contribution to the judicial system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 2","pages":"Pages 103-118"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143100377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Transfer and persistence of owner DNA on domestic pets

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-17 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.001

Rachel Oefelein , Sarah Cresswell , Carney Matheson

{"title":"Transfer and persistence of owner DNA on domestic pets","authors":"Rachel Oefelein , Sarah Cresswell , Carney Matheson","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Domestic pets are frequently present at crime scenes, the homes of victims and suspects, and other persons of interest associated or allegedly associated with a crime. The presence of traces of animal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at a scene can be an investigative lead but could our furry friends also be depositing our DNA along the way? Routine contact with our domestic pets from a pat on the head, kisses, and hugs may all result in transfer of our DNA to an animal. In an effort to explore this possibility, the background human DNA on domestic pets was measured and whether any DNA attributable specifically to the owner of the domestic pet was assessed. Finally, whether the pet would transfer the owner’s DNA onto a smooth surface item was also evaluated. Ten domestic pets comprised of felines and canines were utilized for this study. None of the secondary transfer samples produced profiles that would be considered suitable for comparison to known DNA profiles or eligible to be uploaded to a DNA database. Approximately 53 % of all samples collected directly from the pet produced DNA profiles that provided support for the DNA profile under the proposition that the primary pet owner is a contributor rather than an unknown person is to the DNA profile obtained from the sample. However, it is unlikely to have results that support that the source of the DNA is the owner, rather than an unknown person, when the DNA is taken from an item that has been touched by the pet.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 2","pages":"Pages 83-91"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143100379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Comparison of WET UCIO powder suspension and novel luminescent techniques for latent fingermark detection on the adhesive side of tape

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-11 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.002

Aaron J. Horrocks , Rebecca Pitman , Sorour Shahbazi , Rhiannon E. Boseley , Sergi Claveria , Georgina Sauzier , Simon W. Lewis

{"title":"Comparison of WET UCIO powder suspension and novel luminescent techniques for latent fingermark detection on the adhesive side of tape","authors":"Aaron J. Horrocks , Rebecca Pitman , Sorour Shahbazi , Rhiannon E. Boseley , Sergi Claveria , Georgina Sauzier , Simon W. Lewis","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2025.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes are a common vector for latent fingermarks in forensic investigations, often detected using powder suspension techniques. Among these, WET UCIO, employed by the Mossos d’Esquadra Central Fingerprint Development Laboratory Scientific Police Division in Catalonia, Spain, is a carbon black powder suspension method showing promise for casework. WET UCIO also utilises a cost-effective detergent solution, enhancing its practicality and sustainability. While powder-based methods like WET UCIO have proven effective, there is growing interest in luminescent techniques, such as exfoliated Egyptian blue (EB) and CuInS<sub>2</sub>/ZnS (CIS/ZS) quantum dots (QDs), which have been successfully tested on non-porous surfaces. This study investigates the operational efficacy of WET UCIO on adhesive tapes, demonstrating its strong performance on various substrates, including dark-coloured surfaces. Additionally, luminescent techniques featuring EB and CIS/ZS QDs are explored, offering valuable insights into their potential effectiveness for forensic analysis. The performance of the WET UCIO and luminescent techniques were assessed using both deliberately placed fingermarks, and also an approach that generates incidental marks to better reflect operational casework scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 2","pages":"Pages 126-138"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143100378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Investigations on stainless steel knives using fingermark development processes including Recover Latent Fingerprint Technology

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-09 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.008

Sarah Kirk , Debbie Crooks , Shannon Vassell , Trevor Cutler , Laura J. Hussey , Helen Bandey

{"title":"Investigations on stainless steel knives using fingermark development processes including Recover Latent Fingerprint Technology","authors":"Sarah Kirk , Debbie Crooks , Shannon Vassell , Trevor Cutler , Laura J. Hussey , Helen Bandey","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The disulfur dinitride (S<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>) process has demonstrated an ability to develop fingermarks on a range of metal substrates. However, the commercialised system ‘Recover Latent Fingerprint Technology (LFT)’, which utilises this scientific process, has not been evaluated on stainless steel kitchen knives, an item commonly encountered in major crime cases in the United Kingdom. This paper reports on the planted fingermark experiments conducted to investigate the Recover LFT performance relative to, and after, other visualisation processes; such as Superglue Fuming (with and without Basic Yellow 40 dye staining), Carbon-based Powder Suspension, Basic Violet 3 and Acid Violet 17. The results from this study indicate that Recover LFT is a promising process for fingermark visualisation on the blades of stainless steel kitchen knives. Additional studies are required in order to fully assess and determine the benefits of the process and to optimise the position in a sequential processing chart. This novel process would also benefit from a deeper understanding of the underlying chemistry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 2","pages":"Pages 92-102"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143156000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Prelim 3: Contents

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI: 10.1016/S1355-0306(25)00008-5

引用次数: 0

Trauma-informed pedagogy in forensic science education: Scoping review of and reflection on (very limited) available evidence

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.003

Rafael Venson , Ann-Sophie Korb

{"title":"Trauma-informed pedagogy in forensic science education: Scoping review of and reflection on (very limited) available evidence","authors":"Rafael Venson , Ann-Sophie Korb","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trauma-informed pedagogy (TIP) is an educational approach designed to recognise and respond to the impact of trauma on students, fostering supportive learning. It has been used and researched in various academic disciplines for years. However, its integration into forensic science education has not been assessed. Forensic science is a unique field, as it unavoidably covers potentially traumatic content, which is a concern, but also important for future forensic professionals. This scoping review aims to summarise existing research on TIP within forensic science education and reflect on its implications from the perspectives of educators with both field and academic experience. A comprehensive search of multiple databases was conducted, resulting in 1293 unique publications, of which, only two were relevant studies, but with many limitations in terms of novelty. The limited evidence highlights the urgent need for further research tailored specifically to forensic education. This review initiates a critical discussion on implementing TIP in forensic science, aiming to enhance both student well-being and educational outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 1","pages":"Pages 21-26"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143044062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Forensic analysis of an alleged improvised explosive device (IED) from a multidisciplinary perspective: Organisation and outcomes of the ENFSI 2023 exercise

IF 1.9 4区医学

Science & Justice Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.001

Francesco Zampa , Helen Bandey , Matthew Beardah , Andy Bécue , Eric Bouzaid , Maria Joao Branco , Jürgen Buegler , Maria Kambosos , Alexander L.J. Kneppers , Kairi Kriiska-Maiväli , Aldo Mattei , Livia Zatkalikova

{"title":"Forensic analysis of an alleged improvised explosive device (IED) from a multidisciplinary perspective: Organisation and outcomes of the ENFSI 2023 exercise","authors":"Francesco Zampa , Helen Bandey , Matthew Beardah , Andy Bécue , Eric Bouzaid , Maria Joao Branco , Jürgen Buegler , Maria Kambosos , Alexander L.J. Kneppers , Kairi Kriiska-Maiväli , Aldo Mattei , Livia Zatkalikova","doi":"10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scijus.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interdisciplinary examination of test materials requires careful consideration of how forensic routines can influence each other. This influence can be direct and obvious, or indirect and subtle. A multidisciplinary collaborative exercise (MdCE) should test a forensic laboratory’s ability to account for these difficulties. Therefore, the MdCE should be set up in a way that considers how the applied procedure (i.e., the sequence of forensic disciplines) can impact the outcomes (i.e., the ability to recover traces).</div><div>Building on lessons learned from a previous experience, this article summarises the concepts, planning, design, preparation, implementation, coordination and evaluation of the ENFSI 2023 Multidisciplinary Collaborative Exercise (2023-MdCE) covering a range of forensic disciplines, specifically DNA, fingerprints, explosives, fibres, and hair morphological analysis.</div><div>The exercise consisted of a glass jar with black adhesive tape around it, representing an improvised explosive device. The analysis of the results highlighted: a) the importance of a joint preliminary optical examination; b) some critical issues regarding the explosives/fingerprint sampling strategies; c) the potential impact of contact marks that may contain friction ridge detail on items that were different from those deposited by the organiser; d) the importance of avoiding discrepancies in labelling exhibits and/or traces is emphasised as it is related to the communication strategy of scientific forensic results.</div><div>Additionally, recommendations and suggestions are provided for those who may wish to undertake such a collaborative exercise.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49565,"journal":{"name":"Science & Justice","volume":"65 1","pages":"Pages 5-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143044059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0