Forensic Center Research Articles

STRUCTURE OF ERRORS IN CONDUCTING FORENSIC MOLECULAR-GENETIC EXPERTISE

Identification expertise is one of the most complex types of expertise and, according to global standards such as DVI-Interpol, involves several parallel types of investigation aimed at confirming the result. Forensic molecular genetic testing is considered the "gold standard" of identification studies, as the high discriminatory power of this method allows results to be obtained with a high degree of certainty. However, due to errors at various stages of the expert's work, it can sometimes produce erroneous results that are inconsistent with other parallel investigative methods. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and causes of errors leading to erroneous results of molecular genetic forensic examination in the Ivano-Frankivsk Scientific Research Forensic Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine from 2019 to 2024. Materials and methods. A retrospective study of 4595 conclusions of forensic molecular-genetic expertise from 2019 to 2024 at the Ivano-Frankivsk Scientific Research Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine was conducted. Results and discussion. When analysing the reasons for obtaining erroneous results, it was found that human error and contamination were the most frequent causes throughout the study period. Technical problems, sample mix-up and others were less frequent. Conclusions. The indicators and error structure presented in this study are useful for improving the quality and control of the performance of forensic molecular genetic expert testimony, as well as contributing to the formation of an open research culture and helping to find ways to minimise errors. However, it is important to remember that they are not relevant in the context of a specific study. It is also worth considering the possibility of the presence of specific undisclosed errors in a particular case. It is also important to clearly indicate the possibility of DNA transfer, etc. Forensic statistical models, including Bayesian networks, can be useful to account for various uncertainties and to demonstrate their impact on the probative value of forensic molecular genetic expert testimony.

Forensic age estimation at the University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva: a retrospective study over 12 years

With the undeniable increase in asylum requests from unaccompanied alleged minors, age estimation of living individuals has become an essential part of the routine work in European forensic centers. This study aims to review the forensic age estimations performed in our center since 2010, to evaluate the state-of-the-art of this practice in Switzerland with the evolution of the methodology according to upcoming recommendations. Our institute's expert reports performed between 2010 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. We gathered the following parameters: demographic data, morphological characteristics, alleged age compared with the assessed minimum age, sexual maturation, dental and bone age. When available, we collected personal and family history, medical history, records of torture-related/self-inflicted injuries, and information about eating habits that might affect skeletal development. Data collection amounted to 656 cases. Forensic age estimations ordered by the Swiss Secretariat for Migration (SEM) represented 76.4% of cases, with 23.6% of them ordered by the Court/Public Prosecutor. Most alleged minors were male (94.5%) and came from Afghanistan (53.4%). Adjunction of CT scans of the sternoclavicular joints was necessary in 86.4% of cases. Only 25.2% of our reports concluded on most probable minority, with 55.6% of definite majors; in 19.2% of our cases, minority could not be excluded. This study aspires to further broaden our expertise regarding forensic age estimations. Given the increasing migratory flows, we can expect a notable increase in the frequency of these requests. Consequently, this study aims to promote a multidisciplinary approach and the international standardization of the methodology of these estimations.

Somatische pathologie bij ‘high security’-geïnterneerden

Somatic pathology in high security internees Psychiatric problems of forensic patients have already been identified in Flanders (Belgium), but no research has been done on the occurrence of somatic comorbidity. In order to improve somatic care, the authors aim to map the prevalence and nature of somatic diagnoses and the causes of death. Through a retrospective study, the medical records of all patients admitted and discharged in a high security forensic psychiatric center were analyzed. All somatic diseases were coded dichotomously. In order to obtain the most complete picture possible, various sources of information (file information, measured parameters, laboratory results) were used. The nature of the deaths (natural, unnatural, suicide) and the causes of natural deaths were examined. More than 2/3 of the deaths were caused by suicides. The 3 most prevalent somatic conditions were obesity (38.9%), hypertension (34.4%) and the metabolic syndrome (33.7%). The current study further indicates that certain data were missing in the files, such as registrations of blood pressure measurements, weight and waist circumferences. Therefore, some problems may have remained underdiagnosed and undertreated. As a consequence, there is room for improvement in the detection and monitoring of somatic diseases. This first study demonstrates an important somatic comorbidity in forensic patients with high security needs and may contribute to a better understanding and treatment of physical problems. This aspect of the holistic treatment of forensic-psychiatric patients has been recognized insufficiently, despite its great importance.

Morphometric Study of Epicardium and Myocardium Thickness in Adult Human Hearts

Background: Understanding the structural dynamics of the heart across diverse demographics sheds light on cardiac function, pathology, and therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to determine the histological and morphometric features of the heart's layers, particularly the left atrium (LA) and left ventricle. Methods: Heart samples were obtained from 32 cadavers, comprising both male and female individuals, across four age groups (≤ 29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥50). These samples were sourced from the forensic center of Azadi Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk city between March 2023 and August 2023. Results: Morphometric analysis revealed that the mean thickness of the epicardium layer varied among the four age groups of the left atrium (LA), ranging from a minimum mean of 103.5 μm in females to a maximum mean of 928.5 μm in males. Similarly, the mean thickness of the myocardium layer of the LA ranged from a minimum mean of 1649 μm in females to a maximum mean of 3176 μm in males. In the left ventricle (LV), the minimum mean thickness of the epicardium layer across the age groups was 217.5 μm in females, while the maximum mean thickness was 1377 μm in males. The minimum mean thickness of the myocardium layer of the LV was 1666 μm in females, and the maximum mean was 4132 μm in males. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that the myocardium layer of both the left atrium and left ventricle is thicker than the epicardium layer in individuals aged between 25 and 57 years. Furthermore, the thickness of both layers was observed to be thinner in females compared to males.

I'm Great! I'm no good….: A case illustration of drama therapeutic work with a male offender of domestic violence in a forensic outpatient setting.

Treating perpetrators of aggressive behavior, like verbal aggression, intimidation, and bullying behavior resulting in aggressive incidents with others, is difficult. This group is often diagnosed with personality disorders and when legal measures applied, they are more often treated in a forensic setting for their problems. This article presents the case of a 54-year-old man, diagnosed with Borderline personality disorder, narcissistic and antisocial traits, mild depressive symptoms, and loss and grief, who has voluntarily had treatment in a forensic outpatient center to reduce aggression and change destructive patterns in relationships. Hating, judging, and self-defeating were the main reasons why the patient found himself ending up in the same situation repeatedly. The client received individual drama therapy sessions. The drama therapeutic approach included schema therapeutic elements, such as schema mode work with cards, as well as roleplay, imagery (with rescripting), improvisation, and psycho drama elements. As a result of drama therapy, the client reported less (active) aggression, less aggression in his relationships (partners/children/friends), but also an increased level of loneliness, and mild depressive symptoms. The client was more in touch with his vulnerability and was able to behave in a more adequate healthy way in relationships. Although self-esteem was still building up, there was a decrease of aggression and less conflict-seeking behavior as a result. Risk assessment tools (FARE-2& HONOS) and Schema therapy scales (YSQ and SMI) were used pre- and posttreatment confirming the improvements. This case promotes the use of dramatherapy in forensic outpatient care to be valuable in lowering risk recidivism and changing deeply rooted behavioral patterns.

Presentations and Incidence of Ocular Injuries Caused by Motorcycle Accidents in Iraq

Background Motorcycle accidents can be particularly hazardous, as riders are exposed to various risk factors, such as high speeds, lack of protective enclosures, and limited safety features. Aim of the study To describe the ocular injuries associated with motorcycled accidents presented to a tertiary center in Iraq. Patients and methods A multicenter cross-sectional (survey) study that involved 335 cases of motorcycle accidents that presented with unilateral or bilateral ocular trauma. The study was carried out at Ibn Al-Haitham Teaching Hospital, Al-Nauman Teaching Hospital, Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital, and forensic centers located in Baghdad (Iraq capital) and Al-Qadisiyah from 1st of June 2019 to 1st of June 2023. Information regarding ocular injuries was recorded and classified according to the International Ocular Trauma Classification. Results The study involved 335 ophthalmological accidents; the mean age of the patients was 27.84± 9.6 years, most of them were males (96.7%), and there were only 11 females as passengers, 39 (11.6%) had injuries in both eyes. Lesions involving the periorbita, lids, and conjunctiva comprised most of the findings. There were 60.9% of patients with lid lacerations with or without sub-conjunctival bleeding, 22.1% with corneoscleral injury, and 17.9% with commotio retinae. It was the leading cause of decreased visual acuity, with 9% having lens capsule damage with or without iris prolapse and 8.1% having a ruptured capsule, 55.82% of patients had a mild injury, 27.16% had a moderate injury, and 17.01% had a severe injury. Conclusion Eye injury associated with motorcycle accidents mainly affect males in their youth age and has serious outcomes, sometimes ending with blindness.

Augmenting predictive models in forensic psychiatry with Cultural Consensus Theory

Abstract Forensic psychiatric hospitals regularly monitor the mental health and forensic risk factors of their patients. As part of this monitoring, staff score patients on various items. Common practice is to aggregate these scores across staff members. However, this is suboptimal because it assumes that assessors are interchangeable and that patients are independent. An improvement over averaging scores is the use of Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT), which imposes a hierarchical model across patients, staff members, and items. While accounting for differences between patients and staff members, CCT estimates a ‘true’ score for each patient on each item based on the consensus among staff members. Here, we apply a CCT model to data from a Dutch maximum-security forensic psychiatric centre and use the inferences to predict violent behaviour in patients. The CCT model outpredicts several alternatives, such as random forest and boosted regression trees, albeit by a small margin. We discuss practical limitations and directions for how future monitoring of patients could be adapted to maximize the added value of a CCT-based approach.

The experience of comparing reconstructions of the external appearance made on skulls with existing lifetime photographs

The conducted research is aimed at correcting the method of graphic reconstruction of the appearance based on the skull. The method is widely used in both anthropology and criminology. The Forensic Center of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia was sent the skulls for which there were lifetime photographs. The restoration of the appearance in the form of graphic reconstructions was carried out by students who completed the course of Anthropological reconstruction at the RSUH, under the guidance of Prof., head of the Laboratory E.V. Veselovskaya. Strictly after the restoration of the appearance was completed, lifetime photos were provided, on the basis of which the degree of similarity of the reconstruction with the original was assessed. The purpose of the experiment is to correct the method of graphic reconstruction of the appearance based on the skull and supplement it with new details. Anthropologists carried out gender and age determination of individuals for a more accurate representation of appearance. Based on the results of comparing lifetime photographic images with the performed reconstructions, it can bed that their overall satisfactory level of compliance is sufficient for correct identification. However, a number of inaccuracies have been identified. As a result, areas of the face have been identified that require further refinement of the method of anthropological reconstruction. So, the thickness, and especially the shape, of the lips turned out to be an unresolved problem. The size of the iris is an important physiognomic feature. It is recommended to clarify the definition of the skull of the lifetime physiognomic height of the face, the width of the nose and the distance between the nasolabial folds.

The impact of childhood maltreatment on aggression, criminal risk factors, and treatment trajectories in forensic psychiatric patients

IntroductionChildren’s development into healthy well-functioning adults can be negatively affected by adversity. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to lead to a variety of poor life outcomes, ranging from mental health problems (e.g., anxiety or suicidality) through problematic health behaviors to serious physical diseases and even early death. ACEs can also make people more prone to aggressive behavior, criminality, and recidivism. In this study, we investigated the association between ACEs, specifically childhood maltreatment (CM), and forensically relevant factors; aggression, criminal risk factors, and treatment trajectories, as little is known about these associations in forensic psychiatric patients.MethodsThe study includes data derived from two studies in The Netherlands, of which the first study enrolled 128 patients residing in a Forensic Psychiatric Center (FPC) and the second study included 468 patients who were released unconditionally from FPCs between 2009 and 2013. We expected that more CM would be correlated with higher levels of aggression, higher clinical risk factor scores, and less decrease in clinical risk factor scores over time. To investigate this, we applied correlational analyses and linear growth curve modeling on risk assessment scores and self-report as well as staff report questionnaires on CM and aggression.ResultsConsistent with our first hypothesis, patients with higher CM scores also had higher aggression and risk assessment scores. The effect sizes were small to medium (0.12 to 0.34). Unexpectedly, CM did not influence the course of these treatment trajectories, however, we found that patients with histories of CM had a significantly longer length of stay in a forensic facility than patients without CM (respectively, 10.8 years and 9.3 years on average).DiscussionThis study underlines the importance of carefully examining the history of ACEs and CM in forensic psychiatric patients and considering this in forensic risk assessment and risk guided treatment. More research is needed to draw conclusions about whether and how histories of ACEs should be considered and targeted during treatment trajectories.

Influence of various factors on the legal outcome of cases of child abuse—experiences gathered at an interdisciplinary forensic examination center in Vienna, Austria

Background and objectiveTo improve the currently low conviction rate in cases of child abuse a forensic examination center for children and adolescents (FOKUS) was established in Vienna, Austria. Besides a state of the art treatment combined with forensic documentation, one of FOKUS’ key goals is to identify potential areas for improvements within the process legal proceedings in cases of child abuse through constant scientific monitoring. The accompanying study at hand includes all patients referred to FOKUS within a two year timeframe (n = 233), monitoring their progression from first contact with the medical professionals from FOKUS to the end of criminal proceedings. A detailed analysis of case files was performed in those cases that were reported to the legal authorities by the clinicians of FOKUS (n = 87). Aim of the study is to investigate which factors contribute to the initiation of legal proceedings and a successful conviction.ResultsMultivariate logistic regression analyses showed that main proceedings were opened more often in cases where the offender was an adult (p < 0.001) or admitted his guilt (p < 0.001) and if digital traces were available (p = 0.001) or trial support (p = 0.024) present. Furthermore, the combined occurrence of medical documentation and victim disclosure was related to a higher probability of opening main trials.ConclusionThese findings underline how challenging the successful persecution of an offender in cases of child abuse is.

Evaluation of a Portable Blood Gas Analyzer for Prehospital Triage in Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Instrument Validation Study.

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Symptoms are mostly aspecific, making it hard to identify, and its diagnosis is usually made through blood gas analysis. However, the bulkiness of gas analyzers prevents them from being used at the scene of the incident, thereby leading to the unnecessary transport and admission of many patients. While multiple-wavelength pulse oximeters have been developed to discriminate carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) from oxyhemoglobin, their reliability is debatable, particularly in the hostile prehospital environment. The main objective of this pilot study was to assess whether the Avoximeter 4000, a transportable blood gas analyzer, could be considered for prehospital triage. This was a monocentric, prospective, pilot evaluation study. Blood samples were analyzed sequentially with 2 devices: the Avoximeter 4000 (experimental), which performs direct measurements on blood samples of about 50 µL by analyzing light absorption at 5 different wavelengths; and the ABL827 FLEX (control), which measures COHb levels through an optical system composed of a 128-wavelength spectrophotometer. The blood samples belonged to 2 different cohorts: the first (clinical cohort) was obtained in an emergency department and consisted of 68 samples drawn from patients admitted for reasons other than CO poisoning. These samples were used to determine whether the Avoximeter 4000 could properly exclude the diagnosis. The second (forensic) cohort was derived from the regional forensic center, which provided 12 samples from documented CO poisoning. The mean COHb level in the clinical cohort was 1.7% (SD 1.8%; median 1.2%, IQR 0.7%-1.9%) with the ABL827 FLEX versus 3.5% (SD 2.3%; median 3.1%, IQR 2.2%-4.1%) with the Avoximeter 4000. Therefore, the Avoximeter 4000 overestimated COHb levels by a mean difference of 1.8% (95% CI 1.5%-2.1%). The consistency of COHb readings by the Avoximeter 4000 was excellent, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.97 (95% CI 0.93-0.99) when the same blood sample was analyzed repeatedly. Using prespecified cutoffs (5% in nonsmokers and 10% in smokers), 3 patients (4%) had high COHb levels according to the Avoximeter 4000, while their values were within the normal range according to the ABL827 FLEX. Therefore, the specificity of the Avoximeter 4000 in this cohort was 95.6% (95% CI 87%-98.6%), and the overtriage rate would have been 4.4% (95% CI 1.4%-13%). Regarding the forensic samples, 10 of 12 (83%) samples were positive with both devices, while the 2 remaining samples were negative with both devices. The limited difference in COHb level measurements between the Avoximeter 4000 and the control device, which erred on the side of safety, and the relatively low overtriage rate warrant further exploration of this device as a prehospital triage tool.

Forensic support for the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) in a pre-trial investigation

The activity of the investigator at the initial stage of the pretrial investigation is a single, interdependent system of procedural actions aimed at identifying, recording, extracting and researching traces of a criminal offense, determining the further direction of the next stage of the investigation. The investigation of criminal offenses requires modern, latest, practical means based on comprehensive scientific and praxeological studies with the use of digital technologies when conducting investigative (search) actions.&#x0D; The practical use of unmanned aerial vehicles has grown dramatically over the past two decades, which has made them quite an effective tool in various spheres of social activity and has led to a significant amount of scientific developments. Law enforcement activities are no exception. Such technologies have become an everyday and integral part of our society, which is associated with rapid technological development, computerization, mobility, safety, ease, reliability, affordability and economic benefit. Despite these attractive advantages, UAVs are characterized by operational limitations due to several critical issues in terms of flight autonomy, trajectory planning, battery life, flight time, and payload capacity.&#x0D; Attention is drawn in detail to the fact that unmanned aerial vehicles are a promising tool for investigating the place of the commission of a criminal offense. In today’s conditions, its use in forensics, practical activities of law enforcement agencies on a permanent basis is very relevant. It is noted that the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in law enforcement agencies and in forensics, in particular, can bring it to a new level of development. Such an aircraft will serve as a chain of interaction between the investigator and the expert forensic center and the scene of the crime.&#x0D; Thus, the main goal of this study is to provide practical recommendations for forensic support for the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) in pretrial investigation. The stated provisions and practical recommendations in the article are relevant in the context of the use of modern technologies by practical workers.

New opportunities for effective identification of unknown toxicological patients (a case from practice)

Introduction. The article considers the issues of identification of unknown patients admitted to toxicological medical hospitals on the example of a case from practice. The aim of the study was to develop an effective way to solve the main problem of the lack of information about the identity of a significant part of patients with a toxicological profile during their stay in the hospital until discharge.&#x0D; Material and methods. Based on the described practical case, a new highly effective method of identifying unknown patients with a toxicological profile, implemented using forensic DNA analysis, is proposed and tested. &#x0D; Results. As promising ways to improve interdepartmental cooperation in relation to the identification of unidentified living persons who have been admitted with acute poisoning, an algorithm for transmitting selected DNA samples to the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on a system streaming basis is described.&#x0D; Limitations. Further verification of DNA samples according to the Federal Database of Genomic Information is carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs independently through the regional Forensic Centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, followed by informing the administration of the medical institution.&#x0D; Conclusion. The results obtained within the framework of this study demonstrate the high efficiency of establishing the identity of toxicological patients staying in medical hospitals as unknown persons, which represents a direct economic benefit for the healthcare system in the form of an increase in the proportion of patients paid for by territorial health insurance funds.

About Michael Ayele (a.k.a) W October 26th 2013 at the Fulton State Hospital (FSH) now defunct Biggs Forensic Center (BFC) New Outlook Program (NOP) - #Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMO) Section 590.502 - #Title VII of the 1964 and 1991 Civil Rights Act

About Michael Ayele (a.k.a) W October 26th 2013 at the Fulton State Hospital (FSH) now defunct Biggs Forensic Center (BFC) New Outlook Program (NOP) - #Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMO) Section 590.502 - #Title VII of the 1964 and 1991 Civil Rights Act

Experiences of healthcare staff in forensic care facilities supporting sexual violence survivors, in Tshwane, South Africa.

Sexual violence is a persisting global epidemic that is constantly increasing on a large scale. The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is one of the highest in the world; and it has been reported to appear socially normalised and acceptable. The study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of healthcare staff working in forensic care centres (FCCs) in Tshwane, South Africa. A qualitative approach was followed incorporating focus group interviews with a range of healthcare staff based in the two FCCs. Non-probability purposive sampling was done. Data analysis was informed by the Analytic Hierarchy Model which comprised of three steps: data management, descriptive accounts and developing explanatory accounts. Three main themes emerged as, (1) help them to do away with the idea of self-blame: everyday work; (2) barriers to the accessibility of care: seeking alternative traditional remedies(muti)from traditional healers and working in an unconducive environment and (3) compassionately sick at times: Emotional impact of forensic care work. The findings revealed that the healthcare staff are often working in difficult circumstances and that both professional and societal factors mediate against the provision of care and support for survivors. Greater attention is needed both in terms of service development and wider challenges to pervading societal norms surrounding violence against women.Contribution:The study highlighted the need for training, improved management support and debriefing sessions.

Using Natural Language Processing to Predict Fatal Drug Overdose From Autopsy Narrative Text: Algorithm Development and Validation Study.

Fatal drug overdose surveillance informs prevention but is often delayed because of autopsy report processing and death certificate coding. Autopsy reports contain narrative text describing scene evidence and medical history (similar to preliminary death scene investigation reports) and may serve as early data sources for identifying fatal drug overdoses. To facilitate timely fatal overdose reporting, natural language processing was applied to narrative texts from autopsies. This study aimed to develop a natural language processing-based model that predicts the likelihood that an autopsy report narrative describes an accidental or undetermined fatal drug overdose. Autopsy reports of all manners of death (2019-2021) were obtained from the Tennessee Office of the State Chief Medical Examiner. The text was extracted from autopsy reports (PDFs) using optical character recognition. Three common narrative text sections were identified, concatenated, and preprocessed (bag-of-words) using term frequency-inverse document frequency scoring. Logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), random forest, and gradient boosted tree classifiers were developed and validated. Models were trained and calibrated using autopsies from 2019 to 2020 and tested using those from 2021. Model discrimination was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic, precision, recall, F1-score, and F2-score (prioritizes recall over precision). Calibration was performed using logistic regression (Platt scaling) and evaluated using the Spiegelhalter z test. Shapley additive explanations values were generated for models compatible with this method. In a post hoc subgroup analysis of the random forest classifier, model discrimination was evaluated by forensic center, race, age, sex, and education level. A total of 17,342 autopsies (n=5934, 34.22% cases) were used for model development and validation. The training set included 10,215 autopsies (n=3342, 32.72% cases), the calibration set included 538 autopsies (n=183, 34.01% cases), and the test set included 6589 autopsies (n=2409, 36.56% cases). The vocabulary set contained 4002 terms. All models showed excellent performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic ≥0.95, precision ≥0.94, recall ≥0.92, F1-score ≥0.94, and F2-score ≥0.92). The SVM and random forest classifiers achieved the highest F2-scores (0.948 and 0.947, respectively). The logistic regression and random forest were calibrated (P=.95 and P=.85, respectively), whereas the SVM and gradient boosted tree classifiers were miscalibrated (P=.03 and P<.001, respectively). "Fentanyl" and "accident" had the highest Shapley additive explanations values. Post hoc subgroup analyses revealed lower F2-scores for autopsies from forensic centers D and E. Lower F2-score were observed for the American Indian, Asian, ≤14 years, and ≥65 years subgroups, but larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings. The random forest classifier may be suitable for identifying potential accidental and undetermined fatal overdose autopsies. Further validation studies should be conducted to ensure early detection of accidental and undetermined fatal drug overdoses across all subgroups.

Hospital break. An eight-year review of escapes and absconds from two high security forensic centers

BackgroundIncreasing freedom of movement and community reintegration is a vital part of recovery for forensic service users. Clinical teams realize that risk of unauthorized leave exists when granting leave, tasking them with balancing the recovery-based treatment needs of the patients with the larger obligation to protect the public from undue risk of harm. While considerable literature exists on unauthorized leave from acute psychiatric units, there is still little research specific to unauthorized leave from forensic settings. AimsThe aim of this study is twofold. First, to examine the prevalence rates and characteristics of unauthorized leaves (i.e., absconds and escapes) among 654 high security forensic patients. Second, to identify individual patient factors associated with unauthorized leaves. A broad array of risk factors is taken into account, including demographic, clinical, judicial and criminal factors. Principal resultsDuring the 8-year period (17th of November 2014 until 17th of November 2022), there were 59 unauthorized leaves, which represents a very low percentage (0.2%) relative to the total number of leaves. Most patients returned to the hospital or were caught within one week. The reasons that led to an unauthorized leave were in more than half of the incidents frustration and in more than a third goal-directed. Only a minority of the unauthorized leaves was associated with subsequent offending, notwithstanding substance use was more frequent. Patients that absconded or escaped more often had a personality and comorbid substance misuse disorder, but less often a paraphilic disorder. They were younger, had more convictions and higher risk scores. After logistic regression, only personality disorder, comorbid substance misuse disorder and number of convictions were independently associated with unauthorized leave. ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that ULs occurred rarely, and in most instances, patients returned within a short period without further incidents. Personality disordered patients with comorbid substance misuse and prior convictions posed the greatest risk to abscond or escape. Overall, the rate of unauthorized leaves and subsequent offending was small relative to the total number of leaves. This suggests that the risk for absconding was assessed in an adequate manner by the clinical teams. The study hopefully adds to reducing the stigma towards leaves from forensic psychiatric hospitals.

Narcissism and relational capacity: the contribution of identity integration and social concordance

Narcissism is often seen as a unidimensional construct, however, more recently, a plethora of studies have pointed to its multidimensional nature. Despite this, the role of narcissism as a multifaceted construct in the quality of interpersonal relationships has rarely been tested. In addition, less is known about what mechanisms may underly this association. In this study, we investigated how grandiose, vulnerable, and isolated narcissism, are associated with relational capacity and whether identity integration and social concordance may underly these associations. The sample included 222 male participants with a mean age of 37.71 (SD = 13.25). Of these, 157 were participants from the community, and 65 were in outpatient treatment at four Dutch forensic centers. The Dutch Narcissism Scale was used to measure three forms of narcissism, while The Severity Indices of Personality Problems – Short Form was used to measure identity integration, social concordance, and relational capacity. The mediation model was tested in R and adjusted for age and criminal behavior. Despite significant bivariate correlations between three narcissistic types and relational capacity only isolated narcissism was directly and negatively associated with relational capacity in the mediation model. Likewise, both identity integration and social concordance were positively associated with relational capacity. Grandiose narcissism was positively, while vulnerable narcissism was negatively associated with relational capacity, but only through identity integration. Identity integration was also a significant mediator in the association between isolated narcissism and relational capacity along with social concordance. Finally, criminal behavior appeared to be the only significant covariate indicating that forensic outpatients (versus community participants) were more likely to have impaired relational capacity. The findings of this study could be useful in clinical practice to improve the treatment of narcissistic individuals and make them less harmful to others in social and intimate relationships.

USING THE METHODS OF GENETIC FINGERPRINTING FOR PERSON IDENTIFICATION AND FORMATION OF THE STATE GENOME DATABASE (INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL EXPERIENCES)

Person identification using the methods of genomic fingerprinting contributes to the distinction of individuals by their DNA samples. In some regional agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, laboratories have been established and operate at research forensic centers that carry out identification following the human genome. Due to the lack of the necessary legislative framework in Ukraine, there was no unified national register – the state genome database, except for the DNA register of unidentified deceased persons. With the adoption in 2022 of the Law of Ukraine “On State Registration of Human Genomic Information”, the relevant issue progressed at the legislative level. At the same time, many practical problems arose after. In order to solve them, it was decided to compare the international and national experiences.

The impact of freezing on the post-mortem human microbiome

IntroductionHuman donations are often used in forensic research as they can provide unique insights into post-mortem research that cannot be obtained with animal proxies. This is especially true for forensic microbiome research, as human circumstances such as drug-use or health conditions may influence the post-mortem microbiome. However, it is not always feasible to conduct such research immediately after death. Donors are often stored frozen in human taphonomy facilities, pending the start of any experimental study, yet little is known about how freezing may affect their microbiome.MethodsWe assessed the effects of freezing on the post-mortem human microbiome by analysing the microbial diversity and abundance of seven human donors at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) before and after freezing. Swab samples were taken from five locations on each corpse upon arrival to FACTS and again after they had been frozen in storage for a period ranging between 11 and 40 days and subsequently thawed.ResultsAfter performing the microbiome analysis of the swabs via 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, we found changes in the abundance levels of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota and Firmicutes, as well as the presence of the new phyla Deinococcota and Myxococcota after freezing. However, none of these changes were significant when comparing community diversity before and after freezing.DiscussionOverall, our results show that the observed changes in the abundance of specific phyla before and after freezing are negligible, that freezing does not significantly alter the human microbiome and that frozen donors are suitable for forensic studies on the human thanatomicrobiome.