Konu özeti
Introduction – What is Veterinary Forensics?
the lecture prepares students for animal crime scene processing, handling and interpreting forensic evidence, and other skills that will help secure justice for victims of animal cruelty.
Conceptual Views
The processing of crime scenes that involve crimes against humans has become very specialized. Different expertise exists in the forensic science school, ranging from crime scene processing to analytical techniques and laboratory compliance. Forensic sci- ence is still an emerging specialism in the veterinary world and is heavily dependent on the human discipline as it navigates its way to becoming an established discipline in its own right. The most significant diffe- rence between human and veterinary foren- sics is that in the former the evidence is physical but inanimate, and can consist of drugs, glass fragments, fingerprint images and nearly all other forms of physical evi- dence, while in veterinary forensics, the evidence can be living.
Forensic Philosophy
the lecture reflects the core con-cerns of a central bloc of laboratory-based forensic biologists, chemists and other scien- tists focused on trace evidence dynamics, and that these cited publications are primarily concerned with the development and refine- ment of method, rather than advancing or ex- plaining the theories and concepts that might assist the generalist scientist in developing a clear and comprehensive understanding of what their place in forensic science might be.
Law and Animals
There are also indirect challenges arising in the courts: cases which highlight the fact that the current property status of do- mestic animals is inadequate to resolve cer- tain disputes. Pet custody cases, to decide the residency of a family dog or cat following the breakdown of a relationship between a mar- ried or co-habiting couple, are an example of this. Using pure property law principles to decide the question of where the dog or cat lives is often inappropriate. Increasingly civil courts are being asked to recognize dogs and cats as a unique form of living and sentient property, different from inanimate property, and to thereby take the interests of the animal (not just the owners) into account. This also constitutes a challenge to the current legal status of domestic animals, but it is a more subtle and indirect challenge.
unnecessary suffering
The term ‘unnecessary suffering’ has long been used to define the legally unacceptable ways in which animals are treated. Its evo- lution and use in law are described in this lecture.
Forensic Science and Applications to One Health
One Health can be used as a descriptor to bridge the research results between human and non- human species, the use and application of forensic science to research of the species is also a translational research rela- tionship that requires an inverting of the hierarchy of quality evidence that is used in all research.
The Living Evidence
While the successful retrieval of evidence from a crime scene is well documented for almost all items of putative evidence, there is one aspect of veterinary evidence that separates it from all others, and this fact is reflected by an absence of lit- erature or text material for guidance in this area. Veterinary evidence, it would seem, is often living.
General Structure of Hair
hairs are composed of three main types of cell: cuticle, cortical and medulla. If a hair is envisaged as a pen- cil, the central graphite column of the pencil is the medulla, the wood surrounding the graphite is the cortex, and the paint on the outside is the cuticle. Each area provides information about the hair and can contain distinguishing fea- tures.
Forensic Examination of Animal Hair
The use of hair as evidence in criminal casework is well established, with hair being a common type of trace evidence re- trieved from crime scenes .Hairs are readily lost from individuals, whether human or ani- mal, and these hairs may be transferred during a crime, helping to link suspects to scenes, suspects to victims, objects to scenes or animals to individuals (to name but a few possible permutations).
firearms and ballistics
The focus will be on the common types of firearm and associated ammunition that are utilized by civilians, which would ultimately be en- countered in the majority of cases where veterinarians are involved in forensic investigations.
Blood Analysis
Blood is an imprecise medium to examine forensically. No two circulating red blood cells will behave in the same manner or have the same colour, appearance, weight, hue or oxygen saturation. Some red blood cells have nuclear (DNA) material, while others (most) don’t. With large variations in size, shape and chromaticity, blood is too difficult to be described in a forensic sense.
Blood Patterns
Crime scene blood pattern analysis is an observational tool. You can take a blood sample from an animal or a crime scene, but you cannot take a blood pattern from either. You must first record a blood pattern in order for it to be analysed and interpreted.
Understanding the Nature of Document Evidence
In this lecture the principles of the hol- istic examination of documents is pre- sented, giving an initial comprehension of the forensic approach.
Forensic Toxicology
The practice of forensic toxicology differs from that of clinical toxicology. The difference resides in the fact that suspicion and confirmation of intoxication must be supported by analytical assessment and not necessarily the response to treatment.