Analysis of the testimonial evidence of Portugal’s first major forensic case: part II

The crime possibly perpetrated by a doctor named Vicente Urbino de Freitas in 1890 is one of the most famous cases of poisoning, and it had echoes in the Portuguese and foreign press for several decades. This prestigious doctor was convicted of the fatal poisoning of his nephew. He also attempted the homicide of two nieces and their mother-in-law, who only escaped because they obstinately refused to comply with the “therapeutics” prescribed by the family doctor. The motive of the crime should have been Vicente Urbino de Freitas’ ambition to receive the family inheritance of his wife, the daughter of the well-known merchant José António Sampaio of Flores Street in Porto. Vicente Urbino de Freitas was convicted but doubt about his guilt persists for more than a century. This second work aimed to collect and analyse all the relevant and contradictory testimonial evidence of the prosecution and defence witnesses. This case represents an odd historical record obtained through more than 12 years of research on the first major significant Portuguese forensic case. Rare and unprecedented testimonial evidence and photographs were obtained from different countries and then repaired, since these also provide an important historical record of the medical photography.     

Titian's secret: comparison of Eleonora Gonzaga della Rovere's skull with the Uffizi portrait

The present paper describes the study of a skeleton, kept at the Church of Santa Chiara in Urbino, Italy. Traditionally, this skeleton was thought to be that of the Duchess Eleonora Gonzaga della Rovere (1493-1550), but suspicion exists as to whether or not the remains might belong to another important personage of the Urbino Renaissance, Battista Sforza (1447-1472). Here, external observation of the skull and odontological examination of the mandible were conducted in an attempt to clarify the identity. Age estimates of the skeleton were found to be consistent with the age at death of Eleonora but not with that of Battista. Craniofacial superimposition using the portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga by Titian (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence) shows that the face of Eleonora matches the skull fairly closely except for the length of the nose. The historical record and the age matching appear to provide strong evidence that the remains are those of Eleonora, and the discrepancies in the superimposition may suggest that the artist altered the dimension of the Duchess' nose, possibly to make the portrait correspond to his canons of classical beauty. The results highlight the potential of forensic methods as a key to understand the work of earlier painters.     

Population genetic data of 38 autosomal InDels in San Basilio de Palenque,the first free town in America

In order to increase the information about Indels, we report allele frequencies and statistical parameters of forensic efficiency obtained typing a sample of 114 unrelated healthy individuals living in San Basilio de Palenque – Colombia using a panel of 38 autosomal InDels. No significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg expectations were found except in the marker rs10629077 (p = 0.0002). The present database will be useful for forensic and paternity purposes for the region studied. Moreover, these additional markers can help forensic laboratories to solve parentage testing as well as to improve the analysis of degraded DNA samples.     

Objective evaluation of similarity scores derived by Evofinder® system for marks on bullets fired from Chinese Norinco QSZ-92 pistols

In recent years, many studies have been conducted in the field of firearm identification with the objective of providing an objective method of evaluating the comparison of cartridge cases. However, less attention has been paid to the objective evaluation of bullet comparisons. In this study, 1 000 registered Chinese Norinco QSZ-92 pistols were used, and a database of 2 996 bullets was constructed. Both the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the score-based likelihood ratio method were used to objectively evaluate the similarity scores derived by the Evofinder^® system. The results indicate that this system has excellent ability to discriminate between the selected pistols. This paper proposes an objective evaluation method, which serves as a response to the ongoing debates regarding the foundation of the discipline.     

A preliminary investigation into the comparison of dissolution/digestion techniques for the chemical characterization of polyurethane foam

Due to their widespread use in domestic and commercial premises, polyurethane foams, as either fragmented or bulk foam, are types of evidence commonly found at crime scenes. The traditional approach to determining the evidential value of polyurethane foam (PF) involves comparing recovered and control fragments under low and high magnification, under various lighting conditions, as well as the comparison of their respective dye spectra. As with most forms of trace evidence, chemical comparison is also desirable. In this work, two approaches to chemically comparing foam fragments were investigated, i.e. inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES) analysis of the Tin (Sn) content in different foam types; and gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID) analysis of soluble components in PFs mobilized by dichloromethane. Seven different foam types were studied and their Sn content was found to be different. They also produced characteristic GC–FID chromatographic profiles whose compounds were identified with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. This study suggests that incorporating chemical data obtained from GC–FID/GC–MS and ICP–OES into a case involving PF could be advantageous, as this will enable the forensic scientist to broaden the comparison between control and recovered fragments, and further assess the strength of the evidence. However, ICP–OES analysis is a destructive technique with a relatively short sample turnaround time, whilst GC–FID analysis is more time-consuming and non-destructive, requiring corroboration with GC–MS data. The values of these two analytical techniques in the forensic chemical characterization of PFs are discussed.     

Validation studies of the ParaDNA® Intelligence System with artificial evidence items

Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is one of the mostly used systems for forensic applications. In certain circumstances, STR profiling is time-consuming and costly, which potentially leads to delays in criminal investigations. LGC (Laboratory of the Government Chemist, UK) Forensics has developed a robust STR profiling platform called the ParaDNA^® Intelligence Test System which can provide early tactical intelligence and aid investigators in making informed decisions on sample prioritization for detection. Here, we validated the ParaDNA intelligence test for its application in forensic cases using a range of mock evidence items following guidelines set by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). Specifically, we tested the sensitivity and accuracy of the ParaDNA intelligence test, as well as the success rates for detecting mock samples and for use in case scenarios. Our findings demonstrate that the ParaDNA intelligence test generates useful DNA profiles, especially for samples such as blood, saliva, and semen that contain ample DNA, indicating the benefits of including ParaDNA as a prior step in forensic STR profiling pipelines.     

Becoming respectable: T. Dale Stewart and the acceptance of forensic anthropology in the academic community

Before World War II, forensic anthropology was of peripheral interest to a few anthropologists willing to assist in investigations by law enforcement agencies. A strong bias that "police work" was unbecoming to the scholarly pursuits of academics persisted into the post-war years. Changes took place as a consequence of T. Dale Stewart's case work in the identification of human remains with the FBI from 1943 to 1969, his directorship of the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution) beginning in 1962, and his work with the Armed Forces after 1948. This paper discusses the historic period of transition of attitudes and practices in the contexts of Stewart's contributions and the cases and teaching programs of one of his contemporaries. Theodore D. McCown at the University of California at Berkeley, during the period of 1939 to 1969. The establishment of the Physical Anthropology Section within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 1972 and the creation of the T. Dale Stewart award for distinguished service in forensic anthropology advanced those laboratory research programs and medical-legal investigations conducted by present-day forensic anthropologists.     

Population data for six X-chromosome STR loci in a Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) sample: Usefulness in forensic casework

This study presents data for the X-chromosome STR loci DXS7133, DXS7424, DXS8378, DXS6807, DXS7423 and DXS8377. In order to establish a database, unrelated individuals (males and females) from Rio de Janeiro were typed for the above loci. No significant differences were observed between allele frequencies in male and female samples (non-differentiation exact P values ≥ 0.156). Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was tested in the female sample and no significant deviations were found. All six markers have shown to be highly polymorphic in our sample with gene diversities varying between 0.6797 for DXS7133, and 0.9260 for DXS8377. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium analysis did not allow discharging a possible association between DXS7133 and DXS7424 alleles in Rio de Janeiro population. Parameters of forensic interest, like PD_M, PD_F, Het_obs, Het_exp, were calculated for each locus. The high discrimination power estimated in both males and females, as well as mean exclusion chance in father/daughter duos and in father/mother/daughter trios, demonstrates the usefulness of these six markers in forensic investigation.     

What do forensic analysts consider relevant to their decision making?

In response to research demonstrating that irrelevant contextual information can bias forensic science analyses, authorities have increasingly urged laboratories to limit analysts' access to irrelevant and potentially biasing information (Dror and Cole (2010) [3]; National Academy of Sciences (2009) [18]; President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (2016) [22]; UK Forensic Science Regulator (2015) [26]). However, a great challenge in implementing this reform is determining which information is task-relevant and which is task-irrelevant. In the current study, we surveyed 183 forensic analysts to examine what they consider relevant versus irrelevant in their forensic analyses. Results revealed that analysts generally do not regard information regarding the suspect or victim as essential to their analytic tasks. However, there was significant variability among analysts within and between disciplines. Findings suggest that forensic science disciplines need to agree on what they regard as task-relevant before context management procedures can be properly implemented. The lack of consensus about what is relevant information not only leaves room for biasing information, but also reveals foundational gaps in what analysts consider crucial in forensic decision making.     

A Historical,Detailed Toolmark Examination from 1916

Marc Bischoff received his PhD from the University of Lausanne, Institute of Police Science and Criminology, and later became the head of the Institute. His final examination paper for his doctorate degree constitutes a toolmark analysis and comparison between a suspected axe and questioned cuttings of wood trunks. Bischoff uses the scientific method to test the hypothesis he formulated. Dated 1916, this report includes his notes, measurements, photomicrographs of the questioned toolmarks and the test impressions, detailed sketches, technical discussion, results, and conclusions. Recognizing the historical value of Bischoff's work, it seemed important to get it translated. Photocopies of Bischoff's original work were obtained. The case report, translated from French, is presented here along with a brief history of the Firearm and Toolmark Identification field and Bischoff's role in the beginning of this field. Bischoff's work stands as testimony to the long tradition of the field of forensic toolmark analysis.     

In silico toxicity as a tool for harm reduction: A study of new psychoactive amphetamines and cathinones in the context of criminal science

The emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has raised many issues in the context of law enforcement and public drug policies. In this scenario, interdisciplinary studies are crucial to the decision-making process in the field of criminal science. Unfortunately, information about how NPS affect people's health is lacking even though knowledge about the toxic potential of these substances is essential: the more information about these drugs, the greater the possibility of avoiding damage within the scope of a harm reduction policy. Traditional analytical methods may be inaccessible in the field of forensic science because they are relatively expensive and time-consuming. In this sense, less costly and faster in silico methodologies can be useful strategies. In this work, we submitted computer-calculated toxicity values of various amphetamines and cathinones to an unsupervised multivariate analysis, namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and to the supervised techniques Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy and Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis (SIMCA and PLS-DA) to evaluate how these two NPS groups behave. We studied how theoretical and experimental values are correlated by PLS regression. Although experimental data was available for a small amount of molecules, correlation values reproduced literature values. The in silico method efficiently provided information about the drugs. On the basis of our findings, the technical information presented here can be used in decision-making regarding harm reduction policies and help to fulfill the objectives of criminal science.     

Sensory information in children’s statements of sexual abuse

The credibility of children’s statements of sexual abuse is a controversial issue in forensic psychiatry and psychology. Neurobiological and clinical laboratory studies show that real memories contain more information regarding sensory details than false memories. The goal of the present field study was to evaluate whether sensory information was present in children’s statements of sexual abuse, and whether this information was more often present in credible statements compared with non-credible statements. Sensory details were extracted from a sample of 96 statements of sexual abuse from children; 62 statements were considered credible and 34 statements were considered non-credible. This study showed that sensory information was present in 79% of children’s reports of child sexual abuse. Sensory information was significantly more often present in statements considered credible compared with non-credible statements (85.5%, P < 0.001), but there were large variations in the sense involved. Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of at least one sensory detail may be a good predictor of credibility (odds ratio, OR = 23.484, P < 0.05). It seems appropriate to include sensory details when assessing the credibility of children’s statements of child sexual abuse, but it has not yet been demonstrated that use of such details significantly improves the validity of credibility assessments.KEYWORDS: Forensic sciences, forensic psychiatry, forensic psychology, credibility, sensory information, children’s statements, sexual abuse     

Sexual assault,irresistible impulses,and forensic psychiatry in Sweden

After forensic psychiatry was firmly established in Sweden in the 1930s, many rapists and individuals charged with assaulting children underwent a forensic psychiatric examination. The physicians found that most of them had not been “in control” of their senses or not “in complete control” of their senses at the time of the crime. If the court ordered a forensic psychiatric examination, the defendant had a very good chance of either being discharged or having his sentence reduced considerably. By the 1950s psychological perspectives began to dominate in forensic psychiatry. In the forensic records of the 1950s we can notice a shift from a biomedical to a socio-psychological perspective, and crime was increasingly related to conditions that were not seen as mental derangement from a legal point of view. As a result, it became less and less common, from the 1950s onwards, for sentences to be commuted or defendants discharged.     

Paolo Zacchia--the father of forensic medicine, 400 years after his birth

This article was the historical introductory lecture in the opening session of the Annual Meeting of the Polish Society of Forensic Medicine and Criminology held on 20 September 1984, in Katowice. Paolo Zacchia (1584-1659) was one of the fathers of forensic medicine and social hygiene, which were combined in his time. His work Quaestiones medico-legales is well known internationally.     

司法鉴定听证制度若干问题研究

听证制度在国家立法和行政工作中已取得较为完善的构建.近些年来,在鉴定实务中,如知识产权、医疗纠纷、司法精神病鉴定、司法会计鉴定等鉴定领域,也已经试用听证来解决一些难题.学界也对司法鉴定听证进行关注、研究,主要涉及鉴定听证的制度价值、适用范围、启动、听证参与人的确定、主持人的选任、听证程序规则设计等方面,但当下仍存在诸多争议和问题.对司法鉴定听证制度进行研究,论证司法鉴定听证的法律依据、制度价值,在此基础上提出司法鉴定听证在补充收集材料真实性的责任承担主体、启动、时间选择、参与人的确定等问题上的解决路径.     

Mental retardation, organic brain dysfunction, and the forensic clinician: some practical considerations

Mental retardation as it is frequently interrelated with a variety of organic brain dysfunctions may present unclear clinical pictures. This has particular relevance for the forensic practitioner who often needs to present his findings to the court in a clearly demarcated manner. This paper outlines the more commonly encountered entities in this area with consideration to forensic science implications.     

Management of crime scene units by Quebec police senior managers: Insight on forensic knowledge and understanding of key stakeholders

What do policing leaders think and know of forensic science? Beyond crime scene investigators or detectives, how do police senior managers perceive the role, utility and limitations of forensic science? Very few empirical studies have addressed the issue. Forensic scientsts should be concerned about the perception that law enforcement senior managers have of their discipline for two reasons. First, strategic and financial decision-makers are obviously key players in the overall administration and provision of forensic science, either as a supervisor, money provider or as a customer. Second, literature has highlighted that other actors involved in forensic science underestimate the scope and possibilities offered by forensic science, hence limiting its exploitation and potential. Following interviews with 18 police senior managers from Quebec (Canada), this study shows that they generally restrict forensic science to a reactive discipline whose role and utility is to identify offenders and support the Court. This understanding of forensic science, like that of many others including a significant share of forensic scientists, differs from the perception of other police activities in modern law enforcement agencies where proactive action is sought. Considering these findings and the growing body of literature which calls for forensic science to connect more tightly with policing and security, we advocate a more extensive education of police leaders regarding the scope of forensic science.     

T. Dale Stewart's perspective on his career as a forensic anthropologist at the Smithsonian

T. D. Stewart (1901-1997) is internationally recognized as an early leader in forensic anthropology. In a series of taped interviews in 1975 and in 1986, Stewart discusses his professional development. The interviews document his early education in Delta, Pennsylvania, his long career at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and aspects of his many contributions to forensic anthropology. His well-known careful editorial work and exhaustive, problem-oriented research approach may have been influenced by his early training in his hometown bank and his many years of apprenticeship under Ales Hrdlicka (1869-1943). Stewart describes aspects of the difficulties of working for Hrdlicka, yet credits the work ethic established by him as a formative factor in his own prodigious productivity.