An evaluation of expert reports with regard to adherence to current quality standards

In early 2008 the penal system of Lower Saxony established a specialised department responsible for risk assessment regarding all prison inmates in that state. The department generates approximately 200 risk assessment expert reports per year, mainly on questions such as the inmates' aptitude for social therapy, relaxation of imprisonment conditions, and transfer to an open prison. Prof. Dr. Konrad and Dr. Heering (from the Charité's Institute for Forensic Psychiatry) have been accompanying the work of this department scientifically for at least 2 years by offering a scientific exchange and by reviewing random samples of the risk assessments and verifying the application of current standards. It is of particular interest to examine which methods are used and which topics are discussed with the inmates during the exploration for risk assessment expert reports, whether or not standardised risk scales are applied, and finally which conclusions are drawn from the results of the exploration and the information which could be gathered from court and prison files.     

Some practical notes about performing polymerase chain reaction and electrophoretic fractionation of amplificated products

Practical aspects concerning standardization of molecular-genetic expertise performing with the use of the method of DNA are considered. Examples of difficulties, which can occur at nonobservance of requirements of polymerase chain reaction and electrophoresis performing, are described; practical recommendations of their elimination are given.     

Basic approaches to medical,forensic, and biomechanical studies in expert evaluation of a car injury

Modern approaches to forensic medical expert evaluation of car injuries are discussed. Many problems remain unsolved after examination of injuries in victims inside the car, which negatively tells on the versions suggested during criminal investigation of car accidents. The experts often neglect the most sensitive methods for evaluation of these injuries and many fundamental approaches to the problem: differential diagnosis of primary and secondary injuries; basic medical and biomechanical methods and studies of the clues; fundamentals of total systems evaluation of the results of forensic medical expert evaluation.     

New prospects in forensic medical expert evaluation of perforating wounds of the eye

The criterion "percentage of stable loss of total working capacity" is usually used in expert evaluation of perforated wounds of the eyes. However it does not always allow an objective evaluation of the ocular status. Visual acuity can vary greatly during the posttraumatic period for a rather long time, becoming worse or better during up to 1 year. Treatment and observations of 160 victims (165 eyes) helped determine the major clinical symptoms of perforated wounds and distinguish 8 symptoms characteristic of severe injuries. Use of these symptoms as criteria for evaluating the severity of injury inflicted to health helps make an objective conclusion without waiting for recovery.     

The diagnosis of an ABO(H) ABSe group in the traces of saliva, sperm and vaginal secretion using mixed agglutination reaction

Experimental spots of the saliva, sperm, vaginal secretion from persons with groups Ase, Bse, ABSe and Abse were studied with mixed agglutination reaction (MAR) using hemagglutinating sera anti-A and anti-B (heteroimmune, isoimmune), monoclonal antibodies. MAR with monoclonal antibodies was able to diagnose ABSe group not only in the spots of saliva, but also in the spots of sperm and vaginal secretion where heteroimmune sera failed.     

死因鉴定意见审查判断规则之反思与重塑

司法实践中,存在多份重复性甚至冲突性死因鉴定意见的刑事个案频发,确认死因往往成为核心争点,如何审酌鉴定意见证据、认定实体事实继而成为法庭裁判的重心.但现行法并未识别死因鉴定意见较之其他类鉴定意见的特殊之处,以致一般性审查判断规则在具体适用中显得僵化.法庭对死因鉴定意见的“遵从”导致质证缺乏对抗性;死因鉴定意见所隐含的经验性、知识性、传闻性表明其并不自证其可靠性;死因鉴定意见具有间接证明属性,自身无法充足对死亡相关事实的完整证明,需要结合其他证据进行综合审查判断;死因鉴定意见要求鉴定人对尸检过程、尸检操作规程、意见作出的依据及意见认定等作出解释说明.为此,有必要在反思现行法不足的基础上,重塑死因鉴定意见审查判断的体系性规则:以审判中心主义为统摄性要求;确立被告人对质权,使其有权质疑并挑战控方证明;鉴定人出庭就死因鉴定意见做出解释与说明,此为死因鉴定意见可采性的程序性要件;明确专门知识人及其意见在诉讼中的地位和作用,使其成为增强质证充分性、有效性的手段.     

Organization and procedure of forensic medical expert evaluation of professional working capacity loss

Sixty-one forensic medical expert conclusions on the loss of professional working capacity are analyzed and typical errors are characterized. The procedure of forensic medical expert evaluation of the degree of loss of professional working capacity in accordance with the Civil Code and Civil Judicial Procedure Code of the Russian Federation and the actual norm-setting documents is described.     

Antigenic differentiation of blood stains by the Lewis system in practical forensic medical expert evaluation

A modification of quantitative absorption and absorption elution tests with blood stain washing before the absorption phase is presented. Due to washing, the effect of carrier object on anti-Le(a) and anti-Le(b) sera is decreased and the sensitivity of the method is increased. Additional adsorption of the sera and elution into test erythrocytes treated with protease C is suggested for increasing the number of standard sera fit for the absorption-elution test. A new technology for preparing anti-Le(a) and anti-Le(b) immunoreagents is described.