The application and benefits of forensic palynology in robbery events in Turkey

Abstract

Forensic science is required to elucidate crime, and it has been carried out through various induction methods. Forensic palynology, a branch of forensic science, is used to find offenders by investigating the connection between the crime scene, evidence, and offender, solving events, proving the reliability of the victim's narratives, building up the profile of the offender, reducing the number of suspects, assisting security forces in conducting accurate investigations and detecting smuggling of drugs and other materials. Palynological evidence is known to be extremely resistant to extremely high temperatures (over 400°C), strong acids (such as HCl-HF), and fungal and bacterial activity. One of the most important reasons for using palynological evidence as evidence in court is its high resistance. Property crimes account for most judicial cases in Turkey. Burglary accounts for a significant portion of property crime. We aimed to solve various burglary events in Turkey using palynological evidence in this study. We used various methods to analyze palynological particles found in forensic samples sent to our laboratories between March 2016 and May 2017. The findings were distributed to law enforcement officers and legal experts working in courtrooms (lawyers/attorneys/judges).