These notes are a summary of Study Unit 2 of KRM 210. This is an in-depth summary of the Second study unit: The scene of the crime. All content of this unit is covered in the notes.
The Scene Of The Crime
Information must be gathered before it can be processed for criminalistic
interpretation, application, and Individualisation.
Collection begins at the scene of the crime as this is the location of observable
and concealed information.
o This information is heterogeneous 1 and comprises the actual sense
experiences of individual as well as physical information through which the
circumstances of the events are revealed and the associative relationship
between the perpetrator, his weapons or instruments and his actions
amidst the unlawful situation are determined.
This information includes:
è The spoken or written account of actual individual sense-perceptions and
experiences.
è Information that is left behind by the criminal at the scene of the crime in
organic or inorganic form, which possesses definite class and individual
properties and presents usable potentialities for Individualisation.
è Information in organic and/or inorganic form which, according to the
principles stated here, is transferred from the scene of the criminal.
è The presence of all other cumulative usable objective and subjective
sources of information at the scene, their mutual and common associative
relationships, and usable potentialities for Individualisation, comprising the
following information:
o Corpus delicti (The objective material which represents the juridical
criteria for a crime).
o Modus operandi (The distinctive method of operation and conduct of
the criminal).
o The identity of the offender and his part in the crime (Direction and
ways in which the transgressor approached and left the scene).
o The identity of the victim.
Certain crimes do not imply exceptional energy and physical activities.
1
Heterogeneous: Diverse in character or content.
, o Because of the secrecy of the unlawful act, certain crimes such as
blackmail, embezzlement, and certain acts of fraud, are associated with
hidden or implicit crime scenes.
o Acts involving physical force against property and the human body have
an explicit and visible scene.
It follows that crime scenes are heterogeneous and that they can
take various forms.
The principles of the crime scene remain the same.
The crime scene is described as the locality of hidden clues which can lead to
the clarification or detection of the crime, which also includes any other locality or
place where physical clues concerning the crime can be found.
Any actions implemented at the scene of the crime must be correct, objective,
systematic and thorough to use the scene of the crime meaningfully and to its full
potential as a source of information.
As the facilitator of Individualisation, the position that the investigator holds is of
cardinal importance.
o With his knowledge of and insight into the Individualisation potentialities
of highly technological and scientific-technical processes, the criminal
investigator, aided by forensic field workers, must perform the duties of a
specialist.
o Only at exceptionally complicated scenes which are of catastrophic extent
do teams of experts and scientists visit the scene.
The investigation of crime scenes can for all practical purposes be divided into
three main phases.
1. The pre-investigative phase:
The arrival, take-over, and protection of the scene.
Exploratory and preliminary nature during which time arrangements
are made for a detailed, systematic, and careful search.
2. The investigative phase:
The scene is carefully and purposefully searched, all potentials of
Individualisation are identified, and a permanent record is created by
way of reporting.
Special attention is consequently given to the precise location of crime
information.
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