138

2024

Publication date: 10.10.2024

Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Editorial team

Editors Agnieszka Haś, Tomasz Kupiec, Grzegorz Zadora

Editor-in-Chief Józef K. Gierowski

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dariusz Zuba

Sekretarz redakcji Anna Sałatarow-Kraciuk, Kinga Techmańska

Issue content

ORIGINAL PAPERS

Theoretical prerequisites and applied aspects of the creation of a single qualification and disciplinary body in the field of forensic expert activity in Ukraine

Nataliia Martynenko

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 138, 2024, pp. 93 - 110

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.006.20179

This article is a contribution to the research of one of the priority directions of the development of forensic expert activity – the creation of an effective system of training and certification of forensic experts in Ukraine. The study examines the organizational principles, structure, and tasks of departmental expert qualification commissions under ministries and other central bodies of executive power, the scope of which includes state specialized institutions that carry out forensic expert activities. Departmental normative legal acts regulating the formation of expert and qualification commissions are analyzed. The article substantiates the need for the creation of a single qualification and disciplinary body, which would contribute to the provision of uniform approaches to determining the qualification suitability and bringing to disciplinary responsibility judicial experts working in state specialized institutions, their territorial branches, expert institutions of communal ownership, as well as judicial experts, who are not employees of the specified institutions. Emphasis is placed on the need to develop a normative legal act that would establish uniform qualification and disciplinary rules. The need to create a self-regulatory institution in the field of judicial expert activity, which would develop and present a strategic vision of the development of the field of expert provision of justice, was emphasized.

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A procedure for the visualization of fingerprint traces on standard and thermal paper using the electron excitation energy of 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one aggregates in a polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer

Aneta Lewkowicz, Martyna Czarnomska, Emilia Gruszczyńska, Katarzyna Karpienko, Maciej Wróbel, Michalina Chabowska, Piotr Bojarski

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 138, 2024, pp. 111 - 122

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.007.20180

The scope of this study is a new procedure for visualizing dactyloscopic traces on an absorbent surface using a solution based on aggregates of 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) in a polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer (PVP). An absorbent surface is defined as a plain or thermal paper, which is considered to be a difficult surface due to its varying chemical composition. In the case of the thermal paper surface, the procedure can be further improved by the addition of Au/Ag nanoparticles, which cause an enhancement of the fluorescence phenomenon from the surface of the fingerprint. The procedure requires the use of forensic illuminators and filters to reveal traces at the crime scene. Regarding the visualization of fingerprint prints in the forensic laboratory, the use of a stereo fluorescence microscope provides higher-resolution images when analyzing single patterns in the form of minutiae. The presented procedure is competitive with known, highly toxic current methods for revealing dactyloscopic traces using the DFO molecule. It also represents a key contribution to the development of methods for visualizing traces on thermal paper using fluorescent dyes and suitable control of their spectroscopic properties.

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Performance evaluation and forensic examination of common fingerprint spoofing materials

Angel Joy, Sumit Kumar Choudhary

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 138, 2024, pp. 123 - 135

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.008.20181

Fingerprints are the most common evidence found at crime scenes and the most relevant biometric feature for personal identification. The persistence and uniqueness of fingerprints make them one of the most definitive biometric traits, which has led to their wide promotion in secure identity recognition systems. Due to its reliability, it is imperative to maintain its authenticity. The common usage of fingerprinting systems across the world in almost all kind of organizational set-ups have encouraged criminals to turn to fingerprint spoofing and a few other means to break through identity-based security barriers. Major crimes associated with fingerprint spoofing includes biometric data breach, financial frauds, and impersonation. The present research uses common fingerprint spoofing materials to evaluate their performances on a set of available fingerprint biometric machines. Finger impressions were developed on commonly available spoofing materials, which were then subjected to available fingerprint biometric scanners. For those fake prints that successfully bypassed biometric scanners, forensic examinations were performed. Realizing the likelihood of the use of such spoofed finger impressions in the commission of a crime, that exists and continues to evolve in modern society, a proactive forensic approach is imperative. Thus, the ability of these spoofed prints to create inked impressions on paper was also examined vis-à-vis the original inked finger impressions on the paper.

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A rapid and non-destructive identification of animal hairs using ATR-FTIR and chemometrics: aproof-of-concept for wildlife forensic applications

Saptarshi Rao, Deepali Jain, JR Gaur, Rajesh Verma

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 138, 2024, pp. 137 - 152

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.009.20182

Wildlife crime is a significant threat to biodiversity and can have serious ecological, economic, and social impact. Skin, horns, claws, antlers, and virtually all parts of an animal’s body are utilized in illegal trade. Animal hair is invariably found as physical evidence in wildlife crimes pertaining to mammals. It is also found in wildlife crimes in the form of illegal artifacts, or as circumstantial evidence suggesting the involvement of crime against animals. DNA typing methods are widely applied for species identification but are sometimes unreliable when the sample is highly degraded or mixed with other items. Hair is commonly analysed by microscopic techniques; however, it lacks statistical confidence in identification when the sample size is small and the results are somewhat subjective in nature. Here, we investigate the role of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform-infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy in analysing the spectra obtained from the hair of two distant species of Indian blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) and Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus) in combination with a suitable chemometric model, i.e., PCA (principal component analysis) and PLS-DA (partial least squares discriminant analysis). This is an alternate non-destructive method for the distinction of the multiple spectra. PCA plot showed the grouping to some extent; however, PLS-DA analysis resulted in the correct segregation of both species. Additionally, this model was validated by 6 unknown hair samples of both species, resulting in a 100% accuracy. The model’s sensitivity and specificity were also tested and calculated to be 1. Hence, the potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is demonstrated by its speed, non-destructive examination, and minimal or no sample preparation. It can complement the present microscopic and DNA-based techniques.

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Comparison of the occurrence and nature of infanticide in the 1930s, 1970s and today, in the materials of the Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków

Gabriela Kanclerz, Gabriela Szypuła, Maria Komisarz-Calik, Wojciech Koziołek, Patrycja Szczepaniak, Tomasz Konopka

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 138, 2024, pp. 153 - 165

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.010.20183

Aim: Analysis of the frequency of infanticides in years 1930s, 1970s and nowadays.

Materials and methods: Section protocols collected at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków from years 1930–1939, 1971–1980 and 2012–2021 were investigated. Cases of infanticides were gathered and analysed.

Results: We analyzed 295 cases, 7 from years 2012–2021, 134 from years 1971–1980, and 154 from years 1930–1939. In years 2012–2021, 5 cases were certain infanticides (1 commision – active and 4 omissions – passive), in the other 2 cases, the abandoned carcass of a newborn was thoroughly decomposed. In 1970s, 46 cases were definite infanticides (19 commisions and 27 omissions). In 38 cases, due to significant damage to the corpse, it was impossible to determine the cause of death and to confirm infanticide. We also discovered 5 cases of stillborn, abandoned newborns. In 21 cases, the body of a child whose direct cause of death was the perinatal trauma was abandoned, and in 23 cases abandoned children were underdeveloped; one case was uncategorized. In 1930s, 40 cases were certain infanticides (15 commisions and 25 ommisions). In 30 cases, due to significant damage to the corpse, it was impossible to confirm or rule out infanticide. We discovered 6 cases of stillborn abandoned newborns. In 18 cases, the body of a child whose direct cause of death was perinatal trauma was abandoned, and in 60 cases abandoned children were underdeveloped and therefore unable to survive.

Conclusions: Nowadays the infanticides are quite rare, however in 1970s they were quite common, occurring almost as often as in 1930s.

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Słowa kluczowe: Expert qualification commissions, Self-government of forensic experts, Training of forensic experts, Qualification of forensic experts, Forensic expert activity, Public administration in the field of forensic expert activity, Friction ridge analysis, Thermal paper, Fluorescence, 1, 8-diazafluoren-9-one, DFO, Fingerprint, Fingerprints, Spoofing, Biometrics, Impersonation, Identity, Forensic, Forensic science, Wildlife forensics, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, Species differentiation, Chemometrics, Infanticide, Homicide, Neonacide, Infant homicide, Distinct autopsy technique, Forensic medicine

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