Forensic medicine is the application of science to criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system.

1. FORENSIC
SCIENCE
FORENSIC SCIENCE
Mrs.B.Kavitha M.Sc (N),
Professor
HOD- Department of Psychiatry,
Aswini College of Nursing, Thrissur

2. SYLLABUS-3 HRS
FORENSIC SCIENCE
DEFINITION
HISTORY
IMPORTANCE
FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORY
VIOLENCE
DEFINITION
EPIDEOMIOLOGY
SOURCE OF DATA
SEXUAL ABUSE- WOMEN AND CHILD

3. WHAT IS THIS ?

4. TRUTH

5. WHAT IS
FORENSIC SCIENCE
Forensic’ – Latin
forensic – “of a
forum, place of
assembly”
MEETING PLACE =
FORUM

6. FORENSIC SCIENCE.
• The application of science to those criminal
and civil laws that are enforced by police
agencies in a criminal justice system.
• An applied science; multidisciplinary and
multidimensional in nature.
• Forensic science essentially deals with the
laboratory examination of different types of
physical evidence, encountered at the scene
of crime.

7. FORENSIC SCIENCE
APPLIES
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Geology
Places physical evidence into a professional
discipline.
to civil and criminal law
}

8. THE DEVELOPMENT
OF
FORENSIC SCIENCE

9. SIR ARTHUR CONAN
DOYLE
 Popularized physical detection
methods in a crime scene
 Developed the character Sherlock
Holmes
1887 published first novel, A Study in Scarlet
 "I've found it! I've found it," he shouted to my companion, running towards us with
a test-tube in his hand. "I have found a re-agent which is precipitated by
haemoglobin, and by nothing else . . . . Why, man, it is the most practical medico-
legal discovery for years. Don't you see that it gives us an infallible test for blood
stains? . . . . The old guaiacum test was very clumsy and uncertain. So is the
microscopic examination for blood corpuscles. The latter is valueless if the stains
are a few hours old. Now, this appears to act as well whether the blood is old or
new. Had this test been invented, there are hundreds of men now walking the
earth who would long ago have paid the penalty of their crimes. . . . Criminal
cases are continually hinging upon that one point. A man is suspected of a crime
months perhaps after it has been committed. His linen or clothes are examined
and brownish stains discovered upon them. Are they blood stains, or mud stains,
or rust stains, or fruit stains, or what are they? That is a question which has
puzzled many an expert, and why? Because there was no reliable test. Now we
have the Sherlock Holmes's test, and there will no longer be any difficulty."

10. MATHIEU ORFILA (1787 – 1853)
 Father of Forensic Toxicology
 1814 - Treatise on detection of
poisons & their effects on animals.
FRANCIS GALTON (1822 – 1911)
Conducted the first definitive study of
fingerprints and their classification.
1892 – Treatise entitled Finger Prints

11. ALPHONSE BERTILLON (1853 –
1914)
 Father of Criminal
Detection
 Devised the first
scientific system of
personal identification,
using body
measurements known
as anthropometry in
1879.

12. LEONE LATTES (1887 – 1954)
Devised a simple
procedure for
determining the blood
type (A,B,O,AB) of a
dried bloodstain
CALVIN GODDARD (1891 – 1955)
Used a comparison microscope to
determine if a bullet was fired from
a specific gun
Published study of “tool marks”
on bullets

13. ALBERT S. OSBORN (1858 –
1946)
Developed fundamental principles of
document examination
1910 – Treatise Questioned Documents
Was responsible for the acceptance of
documents as scientific evidence by the courts

14. EDMOND LOCARD (1877 –
1966)
Demonstrated how the principles developed by
Hans Gross could be incorporated into a workable
crime lab.
Locard's exchange principle states that once
contact is made between two surfaces a transfer
of material(s) will occur.

16. SCOPE OF FORENSIC
SCIENCE

18. Principles
of
Forensic
Science
Principle
of
exchange
Principle
of
probability
Law of
circumstantial
fact
Principle
of analysis
Principle
of
comparison
law of
progressive
change
Law of
individuality

19. FORENSIC
SCIENCE
LABORATORY

20. Since the 1960's the number of crime labs
increased due to the courts demanding secure
scientifically evaluated evidence.
 More crime
 More drug related crime
 Greater need for physical evidence
 Use of DNA profiling (1990’s)

21. FORENSIC SCIENCE
LABORATORY
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL)
is a division within the DFS. The DFS’
FSL collects, examines, analyzes, and
reports on physical evidence submitted
in criminal cases as well as provides
surveillance testing to identify emerging
drug trends.

22. FUNCTION OF FORENSIC
SCIENCE LABORATORIES
The main function of forensic science
laboratories is
To provide an unbiased scientific opinion on
the different types of evidential material
referred to them by the investigating agencies
Examine, compare & evaluate physical
evidence
Protection of innocent
Training of police investigators

23. ROLE OF FSLS
The role of the forensic science laboratories can
be classified under the following
Producing the evidence in a legally admissible
form
Scientific examination and analysis of clue
materials
Evaluating the results of scientific analysis and
interpreting them
Effective use of forensic findings in the
prosecution

24. Helping the Ios and police in the following
manner:
Recognition of evidence material at the scene
of the crime
Collection and preservation of the clue
material so recognized
Analysis, examination, and testifying of the
forensic findings
Interpretation of the forensic clues

25. Category of FSL
Central
FSL
• Kolkata
• Chandigarh
• Hyderabad
• New Delhi
• Guwahati
• Bhopal
• Pune
State FSL
31 SFSL
Mini and
Local
FSL
45
REGIONAL
FSL

26. DIVISION OF FSL
STANDARD
•Physics
Division
•Biology
Division
•Ballistics
Division
•Documents
Division
•Photo Division
OPTIONAL/ADVA
NCED
•Chemistry Division
•Toxicology Division
•Serology Division
•Narcotics Division
•Arson & Explosives Division
•Forensic Psychology
Division/ Polygraph Division
•Computer Forensics Division
•DNA analysis division
•Cyber forensics
•Narco analysis division
•Voiceprint analysis division
•DNA Finger Printing Division

27. BIOLOGICAL
DIVISION
Identification of blood, menstrual blood, semen,
saliva, sweat, urine, vomit, fecal matter, nasal
discharge, etc., and their stains.
Identification, origin, and comparison of hair.
Determination of origin, sex, age, height &
identity, etc. from skeletal remains, including
teeth
Anthropometric comparison of a human skull
with a photograph

28. PHYSICAL
DIVISION
Examination and comparison of paints, glass,
and metal, including medals, coins, clothes,
paper, leather and telegraphic wires etc.
X-ray radiographic examination of packets,
boxes, letter bombs & other secret contrabands
as well as currency notes, lottery tickets, etc.
Determination of cause of fire and direction of
force on glass, door, window panes etc &
Reconstruction of scene of crime.

29. BALLISTICS
DIVISION
Identification & comparison of bullets, cartridges,
cartridge cases, etc. recovered from the scene of
crime or the body of the victim.
Estimation of the range, direction, and angle of
firing.
Analysis of live explosives of traces of explosive
residues in post-explosion debris to determine the
type of explosive involved.

30. CHEMISTRY
DIVISION
Identification of poisons in biological materials
(viscera, blood, urine, stomach wash, vomit, etc).
Qualitative analysis of narcotics and psychotropic
substances in accordance with the NDPS Act, 1985.
Analysis of petroleum products and other
inflammable substances in arson cases, including
dowry deaths.

31. FINGERPRINT
DIVISION
 Comparison of fingerprints on documents to
establish their identity.
Taking of ten-digit fingerprints of living persons.
 Comparison and identification of foot
prints/footwear prints.

32. LIE-DETECTION
DIVISION
The lie detection technique is based on the principle of
psychosomatic interactions of an individual, i.e. a
change in a person’s consciously held feelings
produces a psychological defense reaction in the form
of physiological changes in his blood pressure, pulse
rate, respiration, and electrodermal response.
.

33. DOCUMENT
DIVISION
• Examination of typewriting and identification of
typewriter & Typist.
• Examination/comparison and decipherment of
rubber seal impressions and forgeries in signatures.
• Examination of handwriting on unusual surfaces at
crime scene, like wall, tree, woodlog, mirror, lifts,
curtains, weapons, dead body etc.

34. PHOTO
DIVISION
Photography and videography of scene of crime
and crime-related exhibits/objects.
General & special photography involving
ultraviolet, infra-red and visible radiations of all
crime exhibits.
 Oblique light, transmitted light/sidelight
photography to decipher indented writings/marks.

35. DNA
EVIDENCE
 Examination and analysis of DNA evidence
 DNA is the main method of identifying people.
DNA can be extracted from any of these samples
and used for comparative analysis.
 Most common samples obtained are blood, hair,
saliva (from cigarette buts or chewing gum), skin,
nails, teeth, and semen.

36. FORENSIC
SEROLOGY
Forensic serologist has to ascertain whether the
particular weapon (e.g knife) is stained with human
blood or not.
Form the findings of a serologist, the investigating
officer can get a definite clue in a particular case,
depending on which the investigating officer can
identify the culprit of the crime.
It is the serologist who has to establish the facts of
disputed paternity cases by testing the blood group
in question.

37. Toxicology Unit:
Examines body fluids and
organs to determine the
presence and identification of
drugs and poisons
Latent Fingerprint
Unit: Processes and examines
the evidence for latent
fingerprints i.e. those found on
surfaces

38. Voiceprint Analysis
Unit:
Involved in cases of telephone
threats or tape-recorded messages
Investigators may be able to
connect a voice to a particular
suspect
Evidence-Collection
Unit:
Incorporates evidence collection
into a total forensic science
service

39. VIOLENCE

40. VIOLENCE
Violence is defined by the WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION as
“The intentional use of physical force or power,
threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or
against a group or community, that either result in or has a
high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological
harm, mal- development or deprivation”

41. EPIDEMIOLOGY
Epidemiol
ogical
triad of
violence
Victim
Perpetrator
Environment
Epidemiology of violence refers to the
study of patterns, causes , risk factors and
the impacts of various forms of violence
within populations

42. Globally, violence takes the lives of more than
1.5 million people annually: just over 50% due
to suicide, some 35% due to homicide, and just
over 12% as a direct result of war or some
other form of conflict.
For every single death due to violence, there
are dozens of hospitalizations, hundreds of
emergency department visits, and thousands of
doctors' appointments.
Furthermore, violence often has lifelong
consequences for victims' physical and mental
health and social functioning and can slow
economic and social development.

43. SOURCES OF DATA
World
health
organizatio
n
UNICEF
National
family
health
survey
report in
India
Centre for disease control
and prevention: national
intimate partner and
sexual violence survey and
national violent death
reporting system

44. Self-
directed
violence
Interper
sonal
violence
Collectiv
e
violence

45. SELF-DIRECTED
VIOLENCE
Self-directed violence is subdivided into suicidal
behavior and self- abuse.
• The former includes suicidal thoughts,
attempted suicides – also called ‘‘para suicide’’
or ‘‘deliberate self-injury’’ in some countries –
and completed suicides.
• Self-abuse, in contrast, includes acts such as
self-mutilation.

46. INTERPERSONAL
VIOLENCE
Interpersonal violence is divided into two
subcategories:
• Family and intimate partner violence – that is,
violence largely between family members and
intimate partners, usually, though not
exclusively, taking place in the home.
• The group includes forms of violence such as
child abuse, intimate partner violence and abuse
of the elderly. Ex. Domestic violence, dowry
case, etc.

47. COLLECTIVE VIOLENCE
Collective violence is subdivided into social,
political and economic violence.
•Unlike the other three broad categories, the
subcategories of collective violence suggest
possible motives for violence committed by larger
groups of individuals or by states.
•Clearly, acts committed by larger groups can have
multiple motives.

48. COMMUNITY VIOLENCE
Community violence between individuals who
are unrelated, and who may or may not know
each other, generally taking place outside the
home.
• It includes youth violence, random acts of
violence, rape or sexual assault by strangers,
and violence in institutional settings such as
schools, workplaces, prisons and nursing
homes.
• Ex. sexual violence, acid case etc.

49. SOCIAL VIOLENCE
that is committed to advance a particular
social agenda includes, for example, crimes
of hate committed by organized groups,
terrorist acts and mob violence.
Political violence includes war and related
violent conflicts, state violence and similar
acts carried out by larger groups.

50. ECONOMIC VIOLENCE
includes attacks by larger groups motivated
by economic gain – such as attacks carried
out with the purpose of disrupting economic
activity, denying access to essential services,
or creating economic division and
fragmentation.

51. CAUSES OF VIOLENCE
Violence cannot be attributed to a single factor.
Its causes are complex and occur at different
levels. The following four-level version of the
socio-ecological recommended by WHO is
often used in the study of violence:

52. Personal / Individual: biological and personal
factors that influence how individuals behave
and increase their likelihood of becoming a
victim or perpetrator of violence
Relationship: This level focuses on close
relationships, such as those with family and
friends.
Community: the third level explores the
context -i.e., Schools, workplaces, and
neighborhoods.
Societal factors: help to create a climate in
which violence is encouraged or inhibited.

55. PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASPECT
Biological factors
Socialization factors
Cognitive factors
Situational factors

56. CONSEQUENCES OF
VIOLENCE

57. APPROACHES TO
VIOLENCE AND VIOLENCE
PREVENTION
The human rights approach
•Is based on the obligations of states to
respect, protect, and fulfill human rights and
therefore to prevent, eradicate and punish
violence.
•It recognizes violence as a violation of many
human rights: the rights to life, liberty,
autonomy, and security of the person; the
rights to equality and non-discrimination; the
rights to be free from torture and cruel,
inhuman, and degrading treatment or
punishment; the right to privacy; and the right

58. Criminal justice approach
•sees its main task as enforcing laws that
prescribe violence and ensuring that "justice is
done".
• The notions of individual blame, responsibility,
guilt, and culpability are central to criminal
justice's approach to violence and one of the
criminal justice system's main tasks is to "do
justice", i.e. to ensure that offenders are
properly identified, that the degree of their guilt
is as accurately ascertained as possible and
that they are punished appropriately.
• To prevent and respond to violence, the
criminal justice approach relies primarily on
deterrence, incarceration, and the punishment

59. PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE
• Developing safe, stable, and good relationships
between children and their parents and caregivers
which help in reducing convictions and violent
acts in adolescence and early adulthood
•Developing life skills in children and adolescents
can reduce involvement in violence, improve
social skills, boost educational achievement, and
improve job prospects.
• Life skills refer to social, emotional, and behavioral
competencies that help children and adolescents
effectively deal with the challenges of everyday life.

60. •Reducing the availability and harmful use of
alcohol (e.g. by restricting hour or days of sale
and raising alcohol prices);
•Brief interventions and longer-term treatment
for problem drinkers;
•Improving the management of environments
where alcohol is served (e.g. reducing crowding,
increasing comfort levels, improving physical
design and staff training).

61. •Reducing access to guns or harmful items can
prevent homicides and injuries and reduce the
costs of these forms of violence to society.
•develop our self-control to create our own
ethical way and bath for peaceful life.
•No anger, Hatred and enmity, control mind,
Love and kindness, Practicing Yoga, Truth and
Non-violence (Prevention of Violence)

62. STRATEGIES
TO
OVERCOME
THE
VIOLENCE
Stable family setup
Value based education
Pro-life movement and respect
for life
A stable government
Religious and cultural
tolerance
Intersectoral integration

63. CHILD
ABUSE

64. INTRODUCTION
Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver,
whether through action or failing to act,
causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk
of serious harm to a child. There are many
forms of child maltreatment, including
neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse,
exploitation, and emotional abuse. Adults
can experience a range of psychological,
emotional and social problems related to
childhood abuse.

65. DEFINITION
Child abuse is any action by another person –
adult or child – that causes significant harm to
a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional,
but can just as often be about a lack of love,
care and attention.
An abused child will often experience more
than one type of abuse, as well as other
difficulties in their lives.

66. DEMOGRAPHICS
The total abuse rate of children is 25.2 per
1,000 children, with physical abuse
accounting for 5.7 per 1,000, sexual abuse 2.5
per 1,000, emotional abuse 3.4 per 1,000, and
neglect accounting for 15.9 per 1,000
children. These categories overlap, with
sexual and physical abuse often occurring
together; physical abuse or neglect seldom
occur without emotional abuse.

70. IMPACT OF CHILD
ABUSE

72. VIOLENCE
AGAINST
WOMEN

73. INTRODUCTION
•Violence against women is partly a result of
gender relations that assumes men to be superior
to women.
•Manifestations of violence include physical
aggression, such as blows of varying intensity,
burns, attempted hanging, sexual abuse and rape,
psychological violence through insults,
humiliation, blackmail, economic or emotional
threats, etc.
•Usually domestic aggression towards women and
girls, due to various reasons remain hidden.

74. DEFINITION
•Any act of gender-based violence that results
in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or
psychological harm or suffering to a woman,
whether occurring in public or private life.
•Women abuse is the intentional and systematic
use of tactics to establish and maintain power
and control over the thoughts, beliefs, and
conduct of a woman through the inducement of
fear and/or dependency. - Reynolds and
Schweitzer, 1998

75. RISK FACTORS

76. APPROACH TO MANAGING
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
SURVIVORS
The following guidelines are for health professionals when a
survivor of sexual violence reports to a hospital. The guidelines
describe in detail the stepwise approach
1. Initial resuscitation/ first Aid
2. Informed consent for examination, evidence collection, and
police procedures
3. Detailed History taking
4. Medical Examination
5. Age Estimation (physical/dental/radiological)
6. Evidence Collection as per the protocol
7. Documentation
8. Packing, sealing, and handing over the collected evidence to
police
9. Treatment of Injuries
10.Testing/prophylaxis for STIs, HIV, Hepatitis B and Pregnancy
11.Psychological support & counseling

77. STEPWISE APPROACH TO SEXUAL
VIOLENCE SURVIVOR

78. SEXUAL ASSAULT FORENSIC
EVIDENCE KIT
 Detailed instructions for the examiner
 Forms for documentation
 Catchment Paper
 Glass slides, sealing wax & Labels
 Comb, Nail Cutter Sterile cotton swabs, and swab guards for
biological evidence collection & Small scissors
 Envelops or boxes for collecting individual evidence samples
 Wooden stick for fingernail scrapings
 Paper bags for clothing collection
 Distilled water & Disposable gloves
 Syringes and needle for drawing blood
 Urine sample container & Tubes/ vials/ vacutainers for blood
samples
 Large sheet of paper to undress over
 Clean clothing, and shower/hygiene items for survivors’ use
after the examination

79. CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL
VIOLENCE
Physical health consequences:
• Severe abdominal pain.
• Burning micturition &
UTI
• Dyspareunia.
• Menstrual disorders.
•Miscarriage of an existing
fetus.
• Exposure to STDs
(including HIV/AIDS).
• Pelvic inflammatory
disease.
Long-term psychological
effects:
Depression and chronic
anxiety, Feelings of
vulnerability, Loss of
control/loss of self-esteem,
Nightmares, Self-blame,
Mistrust, Avoidance and post-
traumatic stress disorder &
Committing suicide
Psychological health
consequences:
Short-term psychological
effects:
Fear and shock, Physical and
emotional pain, Intense self-
disgust, powerlessness,
Worthlessness, Apathy, Denial,
Numbing & Withdrawal.

81. BATTERED WIFE SYNDROME
The psychological symptoms suffered by a
woman repeatedly abused by a mate (as a husband)
and also called Battered woman syndrome. The
characteristics are
Somatic complaints like headache, insomnia,
lower back pain, abdominal pain and
dyspareunia
High level of anxiety
Avoidance behavior and emotional numbing
Body image disturbance
Disrupted interpersonal disturbance

82. CYCLE OF ABUSE
which usually begins as an abusive cycle with three
stages.
• First, the abuser engages in behaviors that create
relationship tension.
• Second, the tension explodes when the abuser commits
some form of abuse: physical, psychological,
emotional, sexual, or otherwise.
• Third, the abuser tries to fix his wrongdoing and
apologizes. This third stage is frequently referred to as
the “honeymoon” stage and involves the abuser making
amends for his bad behaviour. During the honeymoon
stage, the abuser is forgiven, and the cycle starts all
over again.

84. RAPE TRAUMA
SYNDROME (RTS)
is the psychological trauma experienced by a rape
survivor that includes disruptions to normal physical,
emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal behavior. RTS is
generally broken down into three stages based on the
physical occurrence of the sexual assault.
1.Acute: occurs in the moments, days, and weeks after
sexual assault. victims fall into one of three categories
during this stage:2
•Expressed: The victim is outwardly upset and
emotional
•Controlled: Rather than outwardly upset, they are in
shock and behaving as if everything is OK
•Shocked Disbelief: The victim is disoriented and may
have a hard time recollecting their attack

85. 2. Outward Adjustment: In this stage, which
can last anywhere from weeks to months, or
even longer, the sexual assault victim does
not appear to be as traumatized and shaken
3.Resolution or Integration:the victim has come
to terms with the fact that the sexual assault
occurred and does their best to move on from it.

86. ROLE OF NURSE IN THE
IDENTIFICATION OF SEXUAL
ABUSE
Provide a safe environment
Establish rapport & Be a good listener
Convince the victim it was not her fault
Document the victim it was not her fault
Document the child/woman’s exact quote
Don’t be judgemental &Maintain
confidentiality
Encourage ventilate feelings gradually
Reassure the victim and provide therapeutic
counselling

87. Ask only four questions
 What happened
 Who did this
 When did this happen
 Where did this happen
Avoid contaminating the case by not asking
any additional question
Identify characteristics of injuries
Explain all procedures before performing
Collect forensic samples without contamination
Document all findings including physical
injuries, emotional trauma, lab test reports, and
verbatims
Examine the victim and observe for any signs
of abuse

88. Organisatio
ns related
to sexual
abuse
National
commissi
on for
women
Women
helpline
Pranjya
Guria
Snehalaya
International
center for
research on
women
RAINN
NSPCC
ECPAT
internatio
nal
Darkness
to light
Polaris
project
Blue knot
foundatio
n
Child
helpline
internatio
nal
One in
five
Male
survivor
Rape
crisis
centre

89. Thank you