140

2024

Publication date: 04.06.2025

Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Editorial team

Editor-in-Chief Prof. Józef K. Gierowski

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Prof. dr hab. Dariusz Zuba

Sekretarz redakcji Anna Sałatarow-Kraciuk, Kinga Techmańska

Editors Dr Agnieszka Haś, Dr Tomasz Kupiec, Prof. Grzegorz Zadora

Issue content

ORIGINAL PAPERS

Enhancing forensic DNA quality: a comprehensive review of the integrated ISO centric standards from the crime scene to the courtroom

Aby Joseph, Istkhar Rao, Nrashant Singh

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 140, 2024, pp. 281-292

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.017.21383

Forensic DNA evidence is essential in criminal investigations; however, its interpretation is often complicated by contamination and the presence of multiple DNA profiles in a single sample. Although many laboratories follow stringent quality control and ISO 17025 standards, the pre-analytical stage, including crime scene and medical sample collection phases, lacks rigorous quality management protocols, increasing the integrity of DNA sampling and evidence handling. The UK’s Forensic Science Regulator (FSR) enforces a framework based on various ISO standards to enhance DNA evidence quality throughout its lifecycle and pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases. Key standards include ISO 17020 for crime-scene units, ISO 15189 for medical examination centers, ISO 17025 for forensic DNA labs, and ISO 18385 for forensic-grade consumables. This comprehensive approach aimed to mitigate contamination risks and ensure the reliability of forensic DNA evidence from collection to court presentation, thereby strengthening the criminal justice system and maintaining public confidence in forensic science.

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Cognitive emotion regulation with respect to life attitudes among convicted recidivists

Magdalena Wójcik, Danuta Rode

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 140, 2024, pp. 293-309

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.018.21617

Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze correlations between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and life attitudes among convicted recidivists, as well as to compare the results of the examined variables between the men convicted multiple-times and those never convicted, and between groups of recidivists depending on the length of the prison sentence.
Material and methods: 246 adult men participated in the study including 124 convicted recidivists and 122 men never convicted. The following questionnaires were used: the Life Attitude Profile – Revised (LAP-R) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ).
Main results: The obtained results indicated that seven out of nine cognitive emotion regulation strategies correlated with the goal-seeking attitude. Moreover, it has been shown that the convicted recidivists used the strategies of self-blaming and catastrophizing more often than the men never convicted, and less often the strategy of blaming others. There were no statistically significant differences found between the levels of the personal meaning scale and the balance of life attitudes in the examined groups. It was also noted that with the number of prison sentences, the frequency of using the strategy of blaming others increased while the level of personal meaning and balance of life attitudes decreased.
Practical implications for forensic science: The obtained results of this study provide significant knowledge which can be used in the development of social rehabilitation programs for convicted recidivists. Resocialization activities aimed at regulating emotions and satisfying the need for meaning in life of prisoners may prove to be beneficial preparation for life in freedom in accordance with the law.

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Eyewitness credibility assessments in criminal proceedings: how much psychology is there in a legal task?

Joanna Kabzińska, Michalina Szafrańska, Marcelina Jastrzębska

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 140, 2024, pp. 311-333

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.019.21618

This study aimed to investigate the legal credibility assessment of eyewitness testimonies in criminal proceedings, with particular attention to the criteria used by courts to assess eyewitness credibility and the factors that influence the number of criteria in the assessment. It also investigated whether judicial credibility assessment is subject to bias. We conducted a case record analysis of criminal cases (N = 381), wherein a total of 3210 eyewitnesses were interviewed at trial. The analysis revealed that legal credibility assessment seems superficial – courts evoke a small number of criteria to justify their judgments and tend to cite only a few despite individual differences in testimonies and eyewitnesses. The legal assessment of eyewitness credibility is influenced by numerous procedural and individual (for the eyewitnesses) factors; our analysis showed that this is subject to certain biases. The practical implications of these results are discussed along with avenues for future research.

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Assessment of demoralisation intensity as a significant element of the model of psychological evaluation in juvenile cases

Tomasz Rajtar, Agnieszka Haś, Katarzyna Jóźwik

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 140, 2024, pp. 335-352

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.020.21619

The aim of the research project was to develop a model of psychological assessment in juvenile cases corresponding to contemporary psychological knowledge and amended regulations regarding proceedings in cases of demoralization and juvenile delinquency.
The provisions of the Act of June 9, 2022 on the support and social resocialization of minors apply in the scope of: proceedings in cases of demoralization (against persons who are over 10 years of age and who are not adults) and proceedings in cases of criminal acts (against persons who have committed such an act after the age of 13 but before the age of 17). The Act does not clearly explain the definition and criteria for recognizing demoralization of varying degrees. The legal act itself does not set a boundary between demoralized people, those at risk of demoralization, and those for whom the said threat does not occur. As part of the project, research was carried out with 117 psychology experts who assessed the importance of individual manifestations of demoralization (using a 5-point scale). Of the 47 factors indicated, according to the respondents, the most important factors are: regular mistreatment of the weaker, mobbing, bullying; animal abuse, regular use of intoxicants; practicing fornication, prostitution; burglary; arson. The least important factors are: listening to inappropriate music; improper eating habits; participation in demonstrations (e.g. regarding women’s rights, equality marches, etc.); negative attitude towards faith and religion.
The result of the study was the development of an interview questionnaire taking into account various causes and manifestations of social maladjustment in juvenile, as well as risk and protective factors.

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Application of a corona charge aerosol detector in a quantitative analysis of fentanyl derivatives in samples of new psychoactive substances without the use of reference standards

Roman Stanaszek, Karolina Masier, Paweł Stelmaszczyk, Wioleta Wrzesień-Tokarczyk, Bogumiła Byrska

Problems of Forensic Sciences, 140, 2024, pp. 353-371

https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.24.021.21620

In recent years, an increased number of reports concerning illegal production and non-medical use of fentanyl and its analogues found in NPS samples have appeared. Because of high potency, these compounds are used in very low doses and most of them are highly dangerous and toxic. Forensic quantitative analysis of seized NPS samples is requested by the law enforcement administration (police, judges, prosecutors) usually in order to estimate the number of active doses and thus the number of people who can be intoxicated. It can be helpful in estimating whether they deal with a large scale case or minor one. This number of doses is taken into account when proceeding a forensic case and passing a sentence in court. To perform such an analysis, the forensic laboratory should use individual quantitative reference standards. In case of NPS such compounds may sometimes be commercially unavailable. Continuing purchase of NPS standards is also very expensive, and the time needed to obtain controlled drugs may be very long. All these were the reasons why the authors searched for an alternative method of NPS quantification in such instances. Application of charged aerosol detection (CAD) combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) as a separation technique, appeared to be such a solution. Instead of individual reference standards of the analytes, the method utilises only one certified standard called the reference compound in this case para-fluorofentanyl. Quantification of the detected substances is then based on the calibration curve of the chosen reference compound – para-fluorofentanyl. This procedure can be used for determination of fentanyl analogues in the forensic analysis of seized NPS without the use of individual reference standards.

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Contents PDF

Słowa kluczowe: Forensic DNA, Contamination, Quality management, ISO standards, Pre-analytical phase, Analytical phase, Short tandem repeats (STRs), Cognitive emotion regulation, Life attitudes, Meaning of life, Convicted recidivists, Eyewitness credibility assessment, Eyewitness credibility, Eyewitness testimony, Juvenile, Demoralization, Psychological assessment, Diagnosis, Charged aerosol detector (CAD), Fentanyl derivatives, New psychoactive substances (NPS)

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