Investigation In England Research Articles

Investigating organised human trafficking crimes: case studies of police investigations in England

ABSTRACT Investigating organised human trafficking criminality is neither easy nor straightforward. Among the complexity is the need to balance and secure multiple, and often competing, investigative goals. Using case studies of actual human trafficking investigations in England, the present exploratory study provides insights into the tensions between safeguarding victims while also (at the same time) building up evidence against those who exploit them in order to secure a successful prosecution. Findings reveal that factors associated with the assessed level of risk of victims, the intelligence available at the start of the investigation and police resources (balanced with opportunities and risk to secure the investigative goals) influence the investigative approach followed and strategies implemented, particularly those aiming to engage with victims. The exploratory findings illustrate the importance of intelligence in risk assessment and decision-making processes during police operations, but also the need to conduct yet further research on risk assessment within the context of human trafficking investigations to inform policy and decision-making policing practices.

‘Let’s excuse abusive men from abusing and enable sexual abuse’: child sexual abuse investigations in England’s private family courts

ABSTRACT Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is an ongoing scourge upon society. There is minimal understanding of the experiences of mothers and children in private law family court proceedings (PLP), when CSA is reported. A qualitative study was conducted and a feminist-informed Foucauldian Discourse Analysis was applied to understand ten life-stories from within a larger sample of 45. Five themes are presented. CSA was overwhelmingly reported as being minimised, with harmful outcomes for children and mothers reported. Pro-father and ‘parental alienation’ narratives were a facilitator of severe harm and continued male violence to victim-survivor mothers and children. Further research into the scale and prevalence of CSA within PLP is urgently required.

Intersectional injustices: police responses to migrant, Black and minoritised victim-survivors of rape and other sexual offences in England and Wales

ABSTRACT Research has explored how gender discrimination and sexist stereotypes in the form of rape myths permeate police investigations in England. Yet, scant attention has been given to the impact of intersectional structural disadvantages on shaping police responses to rape. Recent quantitative studies reveal a criminal justice gap for Black and minoritised victim-survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, pointing to a troubling policing reality that demands further scrutiny. This paper turns to that by drawing on data from 25 cases from four forces collected between 2021 and 2022 as part of Operation Soteria Bluestone (OSB) through a novel method in which police investigators critically peer review their colleagues’ case files to assess strengths and weaknesses. Our study provides a unique methodological and empirical contribution to the field, as qualitative research on Black and minoritised women’s experiences of policing as victim-survivors of sexual and domestic violence has primarily relied on interviews with police officers, victim-survivors and practitioners. The framework of institutional racism and intersectionality sheds light on how the police may inadequately respond to rape cases and the intersecting needs of migrant, Black and minoritised women. As Black feminists contend, the intersection of multiple categories of oppression both generates and invisibilises specific forms of violence and institutional responses to them. Our findings indicate that migrant, Black and minoritised victim-survivors are being failed on multiple fronts, including police neglect and inaction in rape investigations, ineffective addressing of language needs of migrant victim-survivors involved and a lack of referral to by-and-for specialist support services.

The importance of the English language for the early Engels–a comparison between Engels’ and Marx’s research on English political economic literature before their collaboration

ABSTRACT The current research on Engels’ and Marx’s early economic studies often neglects the language and geographical differences between Engels and Marx which directly lead to the disparity between them in political economy. This study, based on MEGA2 , finds that before the collaboration with Marx, Engels, with his proficiency in English, studied plenty of first-hand English literature on political economy while having in-person experience and doing field investigation in Britain which most German intellectuals of the same period such as Marx lacked. With access to the newly published English literature, Engels transformed his literature advantage into a theoretical edge and formulated his original ideas. Yet Marx in German states and Austrian Empire mainly studied French translations of limited English literature on political economy, although presenting critical insights. Engels’ advantage is that he proposed many ideas that would become the basis of Marxian political economy, some of which had not yet been explored by Marx but were later affirmed by Marx.

Local Salmonella Enteritidis restaurant outbreak investigation in England provides further evidence for eggs as source in widespread international cluster, March to April 2023.

We report a 5-single nucleotide polymorphism cluster of Salmonella Enteriditis in England, part of a global cluster of S. Enteritidis ST11. Forty-seven confirmed cases have been investigated of whom 25 were linked to a restaurant. In addition, there were 18 probable cases with restaurant exposure. Epidemiological investigations suggested eggs or chicken as the most likely cause of the outbreak but were unable to distinguish between those two food vehicles. Ongoing food chain investigations indicated links to imported eggs from Poland.

Triaging suspected cancer with a multi-cancer early detection blood test

Notable progress has been made in the field of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis over the past decade. Along the spectrum of promising clinical applications of ctDNA across the various stages of cancer, blood-based genotyping in advanced cancer to guide targeted therapies, and more recently, molecular residual disease detection to improve patient selection for adjuvant therapy in stage II colon cancer, are the only indications with sufficient evidence to be integrated into routine clinical care. 1 Pascual J Attard G Bidard FC et al. ESMO recommendations on the use of circulating tumour DNA assays for patients with cancer: a report from the ESMO Precision Medicine Working Group. Ann Oncol. 2022; 33: 750-768 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Google Scholar , 2 Tie J Cohen JD Lahouel K et al. Circulating tumor DNA analysis guiding adjuvant therapy in stage II colon cancer. N Engl J Med. 2022; 386: 2261-2272 Crossref PubMed Scopus (137) Google Scholar Among the many other potential applications of ctDNA, a multi-cancer ctDNA test for early detection of multiple cancer types in otherwise healthy individuals, represents the most substantial opportunity to improve cancer survival. Multi-cancer early detection test in symptomatic patients referred for cancer investigation in England and Wales (SYMPLIFY): a large-scale, observational cohort studyThis first large-scale prospective evaluation of an MCED diagnostic test in a symptomatic population demonstrates the feasibility of using an MCED test to assist clinicians with decisions regarding urgency and route of referral from primary care. Our data provide the basis for a prospective, interventional study in patients presenting to primary care with non-specific signs and symptoms. Full-Text PDF Open Access

Multi-cancer early detection test in symptomatic patients referred for cancer investigation in England and Wales (SYMPLIFY): a large-scale, observational cohort study

Analysis of circulating tumour DNA could stratify cancer risk in symptomatic patients. We aimed to evaluate the performance of a methylation-based multicancer early detection (MCED) diagnostic test in symptomatic patients referred from primary care. We did a multicentre, prospective, observational study at National Health Service (NHS) hospital sites in England and Wales. Participants aged 18 or older referred with non-specific symptoms or symptoms potentially due to gynaecological, lung, or upper or lower gastrointestinal cancers were included and gave a blood sample when they attended for urgent investigation. Participants were excluded if they had a history of or had received treatment for an invasive or haematological malignancy diagnosed within the preceding 3 years, were taking cytotoxic or demethylating agents that might interfere with the test, or had participated in another study of a GRAIL MCED test. Patients were followed until diagnostic resolution or up to 9 months. Cell-free DNA was isolated and the MCED test performed blinded to the clinical outcome. MCED predictions were compared with the diagnosis obtained by standard care to establish the primary outcomes of overall positive and negative predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity. Outcomes were assessed in participants with a valid MCED test result and diagnostic resolution. SYMPLIFY is registered with ISRCTN (ISRCTN10226380) and has completed follow-up at all sites. 6238 participants were recruited between July 7 and Nov 30, 2021, across 44 hospital sites. 387 were excluded due to staff being unable to draw blood, sample errors, participant withdrawal, or identification of ineligibility after enrolment. Of 5851 clinically evaluable participants, 376 had no MCED test result and 14 had no information as to final diagnosis, resulting in 5461 included in the final cohort for analysis with an evaluable MCED test result and diagnostic outcome (368 [6·7%] with a cancer diagnosis and 5093 [93·3%] without a cancer diagnosis). The median age of participants was 61·9 years (IQR 53·4-73·0), 3609 (66·1%) were female and 1852 (33·9%) were male. The MCED test detected a cancer signal in 323 cases, in whom 244 cancer was diagnosed, yielding a positive predictive value of 75·5% (95% CI 70·5-80·1), negative predictive value of 97·6% (97·1-98·0), sensitivity of 66·3% (61·2-71·1), and specificity of 98·4% (98·1-98·8). Sensitivity increased with increasing age and cancer stage, from 24·2% (95% CI 16·0-34·1) in stage I to 95·3% (88·5-98·7) in stage IV. For cases in which a cancer signal was detected among patients with cancer, the MCED test's prediction of the site of origin was accurate in 85·2% (95% CI 79·8-89·3) of cases. Sensitivity 80·4% (95% CI 66·1-90·6) and negative predictive value 99·1% (98·2-99·6) were highest for patients with symptoms mandating investigation for upper gastrointestinal cancer. This first large-scale prospective evaluation of an MCED diagnostic test in a symptomatic population demonstrates the feasibility of using an MCED test to assist clinicians with decisions regarding urgency and route of referral from primary care. Our data provide the basis for a prospective, interventional study in patients presenting to primary care with non-specific signs and symptoms. GRAIL Bio UK.

Understanding Factors Associated with Burnout Symptoms amongst Investigators working on Rape and Serious Sexual Offence (RASSO) investigations in England and Wales

Abstract Prolonged stress leading to job-related burnout is of increasing interest in policing. Police officers involved in rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) investigations experience heightened scrutiny alongside increased forensic demands whilst providing an accountable, victim-orientated service. The objective of the study was to examine correlates associated with burnout symptoms [emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment (PA)]. RASSO investigators (n = 538) completed a cross-sectional online survey across five police force areas in England and Wales. Measures were screened using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator method, and three regression models were run against the three outcome measures. Excessive job demands encompassing workload, work–life balance and team pressures from colleagues and managers were strongly related to EE and DP. Male officers reported elevated levels of depersonalization. The learning climate was associated with all three burnout measures. The findings suggest that creating an effective learning environment for RASSO investigations and establishing effective organizational health policies to enhance team cohesion can reduce burnout. Further work is required to understand male officers’ higher levels of depersonalization.

The Coronial System: A Short History

The system of death investigation in England and Wales is complex and its origins based in history and is commonly referred to as the ‘coronial’ system. The coronial system was established in England during the reign of Richard 1st

What Can We Learn from Police Data About Timeliness in Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Investigations in England and Wales?

The issue of timeliness in rape and other serious sexual offence investigations has been raised in a number of inspections and reviews, and there are policy imperatives to decrease delays, but there has been little exploration of police data to understand what contributes to them and enable practical recommendations or options. This paper explores what official data from two police forces participating in Operation Soteria Bluestone tell us about the timelines of these investigations, what this reveals about the gaps in policing data, and what additional knowledge can be gained from qualitative methodologies, in this instance case file analysis and case reviews.

What can We Learn from Police Data About Timeliness in Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Investigations in England and Wales?

The issue of timeliness in rape and other serious sexual offence investigations has been raised in a number of inspections and reviews, and there are policy imperatives to decrease delays, but there has been little exploration of police data to understand what contributes to them and enable practical recommendations or options. This paper explores what official data from two police forces participating in Operation Soteria Bluestone tell us about the timelines of these investigations, what this reveals about the gaps in policing data, and what additional knowledge can be gained from qualitative methodologies, in this instance case file analysis and case reviews.

‘The human toll’: Highlighting the unacknowledged harms of prison suicide which radiate across stakeholder groups

Internationally, prisoner mortality rates are up to 50% above those in the community. Although prisoner deaths are frequent and have significant implications across a broad range of stakeholder groups, these harms are rarely acknowledged. We address this by presenting original data from semi-structured interviews with 19 senior Prison Service staff (representing 8 prisons and 11 regions) and 16 Ombudsman investigators in England and Wales. These professional groups have received limited consideration in previous research. Without negating implications for bereaved families and other prisoners, we demonstrate that scholars have grasped neither the impacts of prisoner deaths on investigators, nor the extent of the harms experienced through investigations. All stakeholders benefit from reducing prisoner suicides, but death investigations do not enable stakeholders’ ‘shared ground’ to be mobilised. Currently, death investigations compound the harms of deaths.

Comparison of Vaccine Effectiveness Against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant in Hemodialysis Patients

Comparison of Vaccine Effectiveness Against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant in Hemodialysis Patients

Highlighting "Risky Remands" Through Prisoner Death Investigations: People With Very Severe Mental Illness Transitioning From Police and Court Custody Into Prison on Remand.

Prison suicide/self-inflicted death is an international public health crisis, harming stakeholders including bereaved families, prisoners, prison staff and death investigators. England and Wales' record prison suicide numbers in 2016 cost at least £400 million. Death rates are an indicator of prison safety, and unsafe prisons mean unsafe societies. I present four case studies of people with very severe mental illness who were remanded to prison from police and/or court custody and went on to take their own lives in prison. I use publicly available data from Ombudsman and Coronial death investigations in England and Wales, highlighting that these accessible sources could be more widely mobilized to reduce the substantial harms and costs of prisoner deaths. Case studies include three men (Lewis Francis, Jason Basalat and Dean Saunders) and one woman (Sarah Reed) who took their own lives between January 2016 and April 2017. All four people were clearly very mentally unwell at the time of their alleged offense and remand to prison. I develop the concept of “risky remands” to highlight that people with very severe mental illness being remanded to prison is a particularly problematic practice. I highlight the implications of people with very severe mental illness transitioning into prison in the first place, arguing that being remanded to prison is not an acceptable or safe pathway into healthcare. I illustrate that police custody suites and courts may lack awareness of mechanisms and/ or the practical ability to transfer ill detainees charged with a serious crime to mental health facilities for assessment and/ or treatment. My analysis amplifies and extends recent Criminal Justice Joint Inspection findings that it is unacceptable to use prisons as a “place of safety,” and that the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the Welsh Government must increase the supply of medium and high secure beds. Moreover, Ombudsman investigations did not engage with the remand transition, effectively legitimizing this risky practice for very ill people. As such, my analysis also counters the apparent “problem of implementation” in prison oversight, instead questioning what reviewers recommend, based on which evidence.

Digital media investigators: challenges and opportunities in the use of digital forensics in police investigations in England and Wales

PurposeIn-depth knowledge about specific national approaches to using digital evidence in investigations is scarce. A clearer insight into the organisational barriers and professional challenges experienced, alongside a more detailed picture of how digital evidence can help police investigations are required to empirically substantiate claims about how digital technologies are changing the face of criminal investigations. The paper aims to focus on the introduction of digital media investigators to support investigating officers with the collection and interpretation of digital evidence.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on ethnographic and interview data collected as part of an Economic and Social Research Council-funded project on the application of digital forensics expertise in policing in England and Wales, this paper examines the changing face of investigations in relation to escalating digital demand.FindingsThe analysis presents the national and regional organisational parameters of deploying digital expertise in criminal investigation and examines some of the challenges of being a digital media investigator (DMI). Through testimonies from DMIs, digital forensic practitioners, investigating and senior officers and forensic managers, the analysis explores the organisational tensions in the collection, processing, interpretation and use of information from digital devices for evidential purposes.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper offers an empirical basis for the comparative study of how the DMI role has been implemented by law enforcement agencies and its fit within broader institutional considerations and processes.Practical implicationsThe development of the DMI role has raised questions about the supply of digital expertise, especially to volume crime investigations, and tensions around occupational divisions between scientific and operational units.Social implicationsThe findings show that while the introduction of the DMI role was much needed, the development of this valuable provision within each force and the resources available require sustained and coordinated support to protect these professionals and retain their skills.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the growing sociological and criminological literature with an ethnographically based perspective into the organisational and occupational tensions in the identification and processing of digital evidence in England and Wales.

Police discretion, pragmatism and crime ‘deconstruction’: police doorstep crime investigations in England and Wales

ABSTRACT This article explores police discretionary practices associated with circumventing crime recording rules (NCRS), utilising doorstep crimes against elderly victims as the crime context (distraction burglary, fraud and attempts). This research examines 68 ‘rogue trader’ incidents from classified police systems, a focus group with CEnTSA trading standards officers and 31 police questionnaires from 26 England and Wales Force Intelligence Branches (FIB) and regional/national intelligence units. Almost half the doorstep incidents were filed at source with no investigation and 44% (30/68) of incidents breached National Crime Recording Standards (NCRS). It is argued that some officers deconstruct ‘crime’ utilising the power of language within their skilfully crafted summary ‘write up’. In justifying their dubious ‘no crime’ decisions, officers rely on identifiable ‘scripts’ that are reminiscent of the work of Shearing and Ericson (1991). A central script is that of ‘civil dispute’ which ‘legitimises’ the fraudster as entering into a contract with elderly victims ‘no matter how unscrupulous that contract may be’. Attendant officers deny property being stolen, suggest that elderly victims ‘consent’ to offender entry and even resort to the alleged unreliability or ‘confusion’ of elderly victims, despite this feature signifying a need for ‘enhanced’ safeguarding; all of which preclude officers from submitting crime reports. Findings expose ‘cuffing’ to be an enduring and dysfunctional police practice, effected out of self preference and pragmatism in order to ration workload. Such detrimental outcomes expose older people to repeat victimisation, under-policing and secondary victimisation by the state.

The effectiveness of the current use of forensic DNA in criminal investigations in England and Wales

AbstractIn this article, we consider the effectiveness of DNA analysis in criminal investigations. Through this investigative tool, unknown victims, suspects, and serial offenders have been identified. At the same time, wrongly charged and convicted individuals have been eliminated from investigations or released from custody following DNA testing. We know forensic DNA analysis is powerful in individual cases/certain crime types, but its aggregate contribution to criminal detections is low and questioned. There is little evidence to demonstrate its actual contribution. We examined the possible reasons for the low impact of forensic DNA, with some recommendations that may further maximize its utility. Available evidence demonstrates that there remains a need to ensure value for money in continued investment in forensic DNA analysis. An evaluation of trends in criminal activities and detection opportunities utilizing DNA evidence may help in identifying specific areas where DNA is most useful, and resources can be focused. Additionally, the potential of integrated multi‐biometric analysis/systems and other evidence types should be explored.This article is categorized under: Forensic Biology > DNA Databases and Biometrics Forensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies Jurisprudence and Regulatory Oversight > Expert Evidence and Narrative

Crafting Credible Homicide Narratives: Forensic Technoscience in Contemporary Criminal Investigations

ABSTRACT Drawing upon qualitative data gathered during a four-year ethnographic study of homicide investigation in Britain, this paper explores how detectives, scientists, and other experts use findings from forensic sciences and technologies (FSTs) when constructing and modifying pre-trial homicide narratives. We consider how these narratives unfold from the earliest moments of the investigation and are told and re-told, as they are assembled into one coherent narrative fit for elocution in criminal court. We explore the embedding of findings from FSTs into narrative; the attention given to narrating character, motive, and intent; the use of narrative shifts to accommodate unwelcome findings from FSTs; attempts to deal with ambiguity during narrative creation; and, crucially, the reciprocal relationship between narrative and evidence. We suggest that narratives, such as those that we examine, are not mere chronologies, but the artful products of coordinated professional practice. Our research suggests that illuminating the origins and unfolding of such narratives during criminal investigation is as important as recording their final polished deployment within the theater of the courtroom.

General Excommunications of Unknown Malefactors: Conscience, Community and Investigations in England, c.1150–1350

In high and late medieval England, general sentences of excommunication pronounced against unnamed wrongdoers were common. Responding to crimes whose perpetrators were unknown, general excommunications were a valuable tool that sought to discover and punish offenders in a number of ways. Solemn denunciations might convince the guilty to confess in order to avoid damnation, or persuade informants to volunteer information. General sentences were also, however, merely a precursor to investigations launched into those responsible. Public denunciations aided investigations conducted by clergy in the local community by publicizing and forcibly condemning the crime committed. Once discovered, suspects were summoned to the bishop's court and were either forced to make amends and do penance or excommunicated by name. This article therefore argues that general sentences were far more complex, effective and legally significant than they are often perceived to be.

Dead Reckoning: Unraveling How “Homicide” Cases Travel From Crime Scene to Court Using Qualitative Research Methods

Drawing upon data gathered during a 4-year ethnographic study of homicide investigation in Britain, we document the movement of 44 (suspected) homicide cases through the criminal justice process before drawing upon two case studies to unravel in detail how a homicide is determined and how suspects are identified, eliminated, or charged. We suggest that the progress of homicide cases through this process is best understood as the outcome of a set of socially organized scientific, legal, and occupational sensemaking practices, collaboratively deployed by institutionally authorized actors. We conclude that these practices are rendered visible only through detailed qualitative research.