An in-depth Summary of chapter 16 in the prescribed textbook (University of Pretoria) for KRM 110. This chapter goes into depth about the Nature of forensic criminalistics.
● Criminal investigation is a broad term that includes a wide range of specialties that
aim to determine how events during a criminal incident unfolded and is aimed at
establishing an evidence-based fact pattern to prove the guilt or innocence of an
accused person in a criminal event.
● Criminal investigation: A process which revolves around the gathering of
information.
● The sources of information in a criminal investigation can either be objective
information (indirect) or subjective information (direct).
○ Objective information: Factual proof and the objective explanation thereof.
■ Eg. A weapon, fingerprints, tyre marks, hair, bodily fluids.
○ Subjective information (testimonial evidence): Refers to evidence that is
offered by people who were directly or indirectly involved in the crime in
their roles as.
■ Eg. victims or witnesses.
● Evidence that is offered by people who were directly or indirectly involved in the
crime and their roles as victims or witnesses.
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, Forensic Criminalistics
● Hans Gross coined the concept “criminalistics” and is regarded as the father of
forensic criminalistics.
○ Forensic criminalistics: Specialised lab examinations are conducted by
experts such as physicists, chemists, pharmacologists, odontologists etc.
● There are 2 sub-systems of forensic criminalistics namely forensic tactics and
forensic techniques Forensic tactics combine the study of the following:
1. Study of the methods and techniques used by the CRIMINAL in the
perpetration of crime.
■ The habits of criminals (modus operandi) tend to become stereotyped
over time and the scientific study of their routine mode of conduct is
an important technique to classify and identify them.
2. Techniques used by the CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR to solve the crime.
■ Emphasis is on their skill and proficiency in methods such as crime
scene searching, interrogation, surveillance, observation, personal
identification techniques and photography or sketches of the crime
scene.
Forensic Techniques
● Analytical methods of certain sciences and the utilisation of modern technological
aids (lab examinations by experts).
○ Thus the analysis of objective physical clues that are tangible.
● This evidence has the potential to determine the link between a crime & its victim, a
crime and its perpetrator and a perpetrator, the instruments used and the crime.
● The collection and safeguarding of these physical clues is the responsibility of the
criminal investigator.
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