foster+freeman BLOG
The Crucial Role of Forensic Science in Upholding Social Justice
With The United Nations World Day of Social Justice being observed on February 20th, this blog post focusses on the crucial role that forensic science and technology plays in helping to ensure social justice is upheld and advanced across the globe.
The United Nations World Day of Social Justice represents a global commitment to promoting social justice, equality, and the fair treatment of all individuals, regardless of race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status. Established in 2007, this commemorative day serves as a reminder of the international community’s shared responsibility to address social injustices and create a more inclusive and equitable world for present and future generations.
Background
How can forensic science uphold social justice?
For as long as the law has been enforced, it has been susceptible to bias, corruption, and the malignant influence of wider social inequalities, often resulting in terrible miscarriages of justice. The countless injustices of the colonial period, witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, or the case of François-Jean de la Barre, represent but a small selection of examples that demonstrate the vulnerability of justice systems to influence from racism, social prejudices, discrimination and personal grudges. Thankfully, in many modern cases, forensic evidence provides crucial impartiality and challenges the power of prejudice, preventing and overturning verdicts that may otherwise have been based on discriminatory beliefs.
At foster+freeman we take pride in being market-leaders in an industry so closely tied to upholding and enhancing social justice, and that each of our innovations has the power to contribute to providing greater social justice through increasing the quality and accessibility of forensic evidence. We are firm believers in the equality of forensic evidence and its ability to see through prejudice and discrimination, reveal truth in cases that may otherwise be swayed by bias and social inequality, and ensure that justice is upheld without being tainted by social inequalities.
In a world where justice is paramount for social harmony, forensic science stands as a cornerstone in the pursuit of truth and fairness, serving as more than just a tool for solving crimes. The objective nature of the discipline can ensure that the innocent are exonerated, the guilty are held accountable, and that truth can prevail amidst ambiguity, regardless of the effect of social injustices or biases. More than this, forensic science has the potential to address systemic biases themselves and contribute to a more just world for all.
Read on as we consider examples of how forensic science has upheld social justice, and how modern technologies are making it easier than ever to produce the quality forensic evidence necessary to achieve this.
DNA Evidence
DNA profiling has revolutionized forensic science and criminal investigation since its development in the 1980s. By providing a powerful tool for identifying suspects, exonerating the innocent, solving cold cases, and aiding in disaster victim identification, the accuracy and reliability of DNA profiling have made it an indispensable tool in the pursuit of social justice.
Since its inception in 1992, The Innocence Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals, has utilized DNA analysis to overturn wrongful convictions. We can consider the case of Ronald Cotton, who was convicted in 1984 of raping Jennifer Thompson-Cannino in North Carolina.
Despite Thompson-Cannino’s confident identification of Cotton as her attacker, DNA evidence later proved his innocence. Forensic analysis of the biological evidence collected from the crime scene revealed that another man was the true perpetrator. Cotton spent 10 years in prison before DNA testing led to his exoneration in 1995. Thompson-Cannino and Cotton met following his exoneration and now work together to spread awareness about wrongful convictions and reforms.
We can also refer to the well-known case of the “Golden State Killer,” Joseph James DeAngelo, which exemplifies how forensic science can bring long-elusive perpetrators to justice. DeAngelo terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s, committing a series of rapes and murders and eluding capture for decades. Advances in DNA technology enabled investigators to link DeAngelo to the crimes through genetic genealogy. By comparing DNA evidence collected from crime scenes to publicly available genealogy databases, forensic scientists identified distant relatives of the perpetrator, ultimately leading to DeAngelo’s arrest in 2018. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed his identity as the Golden State Killer, and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Advances in forensic technology have vastly increased the ability of forensic examiners to screen for, capture and analyse body fluids and other physical evidence such as hair or fingernails at the crime-scene, allowing DNA to be collected and used as evidence in court. Multispectral alternative light sources, as found within our Crime-lite Range, empower CSIs to search for evidence using a range of wavelengths, with single devices such as the revolutionary Crime-lite AUTO now capable of providing illumination across the electromagnetic spectrum, imaging evidence through appropriate filters and capturing quality, court-ready photographic evidence. You can learn more about this process of fluorescence imaging with bandpass filters here.
A recent collaborative study between foster+freeman and L’Institut de Recherche Criminelle de la Gendarmerie Nationale (IRCGN) examined the modern methods used to identify body fluids on forensic evidence
read the article here:
Crime-lite Applications: Visualisation of fluorescence from STK Sperm Tracker™
Trace Evidence
The forensic analysis of trace evidence often plays a significant role in criminal investigations, providing the crucial link needed to make an arrest or secure a conviction. Trace evidence refers to small pieces of physical evidence, such as fibres, hair, glass fragments, and soil particles, that can be transferred between people, objects, and locations during a crime.
The forensic analysis of trace evidence plays a crucial role in determining the cause and origin of fires in arson investigations. By examining burn patterns, residue, accelerants, and other evidence collected from fire scenes, forensic scientists can reconstruct the events leading up to the fire and identify potential arsonists.
In a notable case in 2003, forensic analysis of debris collected from the scene of a deadly nightclub fire in Rhode Island revealed the presence of flammable materials and accelerants, indicating arson as the cause of the blaze. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest and conviction of the nightclub owners and others responsible for the fire, which claimed the lives of 100 people and injured more than 200 others. This case highlights the critical role of forensic analysis in holding individuals accountable for acts of arson and providing justice for the victims and their families.
Advancements in forensic technology make it easier for examiners to identify and examine trace evidence relating to a crime. During investigations, the use of alternate light sources to detect trace evidence is now commonplace, with advances in multispectral imaging and filters allowing examiners to detect evidence that would have otherwise been invisible to the naked eye. Enhancements in portable LASER technology led to the development of our Crime-lite LASER, further increasing the ability of examiners at the crime-scene to identify even the faintest traces of evidence.
Recovered items relating to an investigation can also be examined in a laboratory to identify trace evidence present. Devices such as our Crime-lite ML PRO and DISCOVER system are ideal for conducting multispectral bulk searches, ensuring that maximum trace evidence can be recovered efficiently.
Once trace evidence has been identified it can be analysed, with various methods being employed depending on the type of evidence in question. The foster+freeman ffTA is a powerful and flexible multi-functional system that provides the crime laboratory with a range of analytical facilities on a single microscope. The capabilities of the ffTA include glass refractive index measurement, multi-wavelength Raman Spectroscopy, light polarisation, fluorescence imaging and UV-Vis-IR micro spectroscopy. Learn more here.
Fingerprint Evidence
Although one of the oldest forensic identification techniques, the examination of fingerprints still plays a key role in upholding social justice in many cases, with developments in chemical treatment, hardware and software empowering examiners to recover, image, enhance and analyse fingerprints with ever increasing levels of success.
The crucial role of fingerprint evidence in solving cold cases is can be seen in the case of the “BTK Killer,” Dennis Rader, who terrorized Kansas for decades. Despite eluding capture for over 30 years, Rader’s downfall came in 2004 when forensic scientists linked his fingerprints to evidence found at one of the crime scenes. Rader’s fingerprints, combined with DNA evidence and behavioural analysis, provided the conclusive proof needed to secure his arrest and subsequent confession to ten murders. This case exemplifies how fingerprint analysis, when coupled with other forensic techniques, can be pivotal in closing longstanding criminal investigations and delivering closure to victims’ families.
During the 1990s the world of photography underwent a dramatic shift as digital cameras became commonly available to the general public, providing photographers with a quick and easy method of recording images that could be stored in a computerized file format or printed on demand.
However, while the digital camera became commercially ubiquitous, many forensic photographers remained unwilling to adopt the new technology fearing that digital images would not only be inferior in quality to film but that they would be highly susceptible to manipulation.
At the turn of the millennium attitudes towards digital photography changed as foster+freeman, in close collaboration with Wiltshire Constabulary, launched the DCS 121, a digital photography system offering tamperproof image validation software. As technology has progressed, so too has the DCS, with today’s DCS 5 representing a no-compromise imaging system for the illumination, visualisation, photography, and enhancement of almost any type of fingerprint on any surface or background, ensuring that maximum detail is revealed.
In order to be successfully imaged and analysed, many fingermarks require preliminary chemical treatment. Our industry-standard MVC Range of fuming cabinets are used globally to this end, with our unique RECOVER LFT featuring a cutting-edge chemical vapor fuming process to develop fingerprints on a range of difficult surfaces. RECOVER LFT is unique in its capability in developing fingermarks which have been exposed to extreme heat (discharged bullet casings, for example) and items that have been washed ‘clean’ in an attempt to prevent identification.
You can learn more about the RECOVER LFT in the these two webinars:
Cold Case Forensics: Using Modern Forensic Tech to Solve Decades Old Cases
Questioned Documents
The forensic examination of identity documents, such as passports, visas, and driver’s licenses, plays a crucial role in detecting and prosecuting cases of fraud and upholding social justice. In instances where individuals have potentially falsified or altered identity documents to gain entry into a country or obtain benefits fraudulently, forensic document examiners are able to analyse the authenticity of the documents and identify discrepancies or irregularities.
A 6-month investigation by Nantes border police, equipped with foster+freeman VSC Document Examination Technology, has unveiled a vast network of false documents allowing foreign students to enter or stay in France.
Document fraud has been referred to as an ‘engine of organised crime’, and plays a major role the ability of criminal gangs to corrupt and undermine social justice internationally. You can learn more in our recent blog post: Document Fraud: An Engine of Organised Crime.
By exposing fraudulent identity documents, forensic analysis helps uphold immigration laws, protect national security, and maintain the integrity of identity verification processes. Our VSC Range of document examination workstations represent best-in-class performance, providing examiners with a complete solution to the examination of questioned documents.
Conclusion
These examples illustrate the multifaceted role of forensic science in upholding social justice, from rectifying wrongful convictions to ensuring the guilty are brought to justice. We can also see how forensic science is able to provide confidence in the impartiality of our legal justice systems, providing a robust barrier to the influences of corruption, bias, prejudice and discrimination.
Forensic science acts as a beacon of hope in the pursuit of social justice, offering clarity amidst complexity and providing accountability in the face of wrongdoing.
By exonerating the innocent, uncovering truth, holding the guilty accountable, addressing biases, and embracing technological advancements, forensic science reinforces the foundations of a fair and equitable society.
As we recognise the importance of social justice on 20th February, we can also be proud to celebrate the role crucial role forensic science plays in ensuring it is upheld. In the years ahead, we are committed to continuing to enhance the quality and integrity of forensic evidence through innovation, and advocate for its ethical and responsible use in the service of justice.
Key Products
to uphold social justice
Crime-lite Range
Our versatile Crime-lite products, offering powerful and consistent multispectral illumination from portable and robust devices, are ideal for detecting a range of evidence both at the crime scene and in laboratory settings.
The Crime-lite AUTO combines this multispectral illumination with powerful imaging capabilities and built-in filters and pre-sets, allowing examiners to visualise and capture details otherwise hidden from the naked eye, with the agility of a standard digital SLR.
VSC Range
Our VSC range of questioned document workstations are found at border security points and forensic laboratories across the globe. VSC devices excel in the detailed examination of both complex travel and identity documents and forensic evidence
The first in a new generation of hybrid VSC document examination systems, the VSC 900 provides examiners with a comprehensive suite of traditional and advanced tools for the interrogation and verification of passports, ID cards, visas, residence permits, and other questioned documents.
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