2. • It is very difficult to define a clear origin of
criminalistics but the term comes from the German
word kriminalistik, invented by Australian
Criminalist Hans Gross (1847-1915). Even though
the Field of criminalistics started long before Gross'
time, the first serious well-documented application of
scientific principles to a legal purpose started in the
middle Nineteenth Century.
Criminalistics can thus be defined as;
• The scientific study and evaluation of physical
evidence in the commission of crimes.
• The science dealing with the detection of crime and
the apprehension of criminals.
Criminalistics
3. • Criminalistics is a discipline that operates under
forensic sciences and most at times referred to as
forensic science, as it is the application of scientific
principles to provide evidence in criminal cases.
• The American Board of Criminalistics defines
criminalistics as the science and profession dealing
with the recognition, collection, identification,
individualization, and interpretation of physical
evidence, and the application of the natural sciences
to law-science matters.
• It is the application of scientific techniques in
collecting and analyzing physical evidence in criminal
cases. Criminalistics is often termed as an applied
science.
…….cont.
4.
5. …..cont.,
• The famous novel Sherlock Holmes, invented by Sir
Aurthur Conan Doyle, was possibly the first fictional
founder of criminalistics.
• The real recognition of criminalistics as of science
itself can be contributed to Hans Gross who
published the book Handbuch Fur
Untersuchungsrichter Als System Der Kriminalistiks
in 1899.
• The development of anthropology by the French
anthropologist Alphone Bertillon (1853-1914) and
also fingerprint analysis in the same period by the
Scottish scientist Henry Favids (1843-1911) was
started.
6. ….cont.,
• The English scientist Francis Galton(1822-1911),
and English Commissioner Sir. Edward Henry
(1850-1931), also made a huge impact to the
reinforcements of criminalistics.
• The progress made in forensic photography by
Swiss criminalist Rodolpe Archibald Reiss (1875-
1929) also made a huge impact, but most of all the
beginning era of modern CSI is contributed to
Criminalist Edmond Locar (1877-1966) and his
helper Harry Soderman (1902-1956). In the U.S.
the work of American Criminalist Paul Kirk (1902-
1970) reinforced the predominate position of
Criminalistics in Forensic Science.
