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SL still using ancient forensics for homicide detection: Study

24 Jun 2021

By Ruwan Laknath Jayakody   In the application of forensic medicine and science with regard to the detection of homicides, Sri Lanka is still using a wide range of ancient techniques at a time when the rest of the world is employing modern techniques such as deoxyribonucleic acid technology, pollen analysis, and microscopic testing at an advanced level, a local study observed.  This observation was made by A.A.C.N. Amarakoon, W.K.N. Wijayarathna, and C. Nahallage (all three attached to the Sri Jayewardenepura University) in a research paper titled “A Forensic Anthropological Analysis on The Consumption of Forensic Science Methods Utilised to Detect Homicides Along with Sharp Weapons (With Special Reference to Court Records)” that was published recently in the Trivalent Journal of Archaeology, Tourism, and Anthropology of the Kelaniya University's Archaeology Department.  Forensic anthropology commenced with physical anthropologists, at the invitation of law enforcement agencies, working to identify skeletal remains (bones) found in criminal cases, by scientifically analysing the physical evidence that has been obtained from the crime scene and the suspects along with one's observations of the crime, and to in turn identify the deceased and the perpetrator/s, ascertaining the cause of death and the time of death.  Weapons can be classified according to the nature of the weapon and the force exerted by it and the nature of the injuries caused.  In their research, Amarakoon et al. have looked at how methods and techniques used in forensic science are used to diagnose homicides involving the use of sharp weapons. The injuries that sharp weapons can inflict on a person include strikes, cuts, and abrasions. Other types of injuries include those caused by gunshots and bites. These injuries can be to any part of the body including especially the head and neck (damage to the brain or spinal cord can be fatal), face, torso (contains vital organs such as the lungs, heart, and kidneys, and damage to such can have severe consequences), lap, and upper and lower limbs. In terms of their severity, they can be critical or minor.  For the research, Amarakoon et al. used 13 final case reports (secondary data) obtained from the Monaragala High Court, pertaining to murders committed using weapons during the 2008 to 2016 period, with special reference to doctor’s testimony (the Judicial Medical Officer who handled murder cases taken up at the Uva Provincial High Court in Monaragala). In collecting the data, several field officials such as the Chief Registrar, Attorneys-at-Law, and the Record Keeper were interviewed. From among the 13 cases, seven homicides involving the use of sharp weapons were analysed using K. Au and S. Beh's classification in “Injury patterns of sharp instrument homicides in Hong Kong”, which considered the number of injuries on the deceased, the severity of the victim's injuries, the type of injuries on the murdered person, and the site of the injuries.  The data revealed that the number of deaths due to less than five injuries is higher, that the majority of the murders involved stabbings, and that the number of injuries to the torso was high compared to injuries to the head, face, and neck. Further, more than one injury was found in the vast majority of the cases. In one case involving a shooting, there were postmortem injuries inflicted by animals. The wounds caused in all these murders were described as deep. Amarakoon et al. also noted that the clothes worn by the victims also bore the corresponding presence of the wounds and injuries. The location of the assailant can be identified by the direction of the attack, and in this regard, the forensic pathologist reported that in the majority of the cases, the victims had been attacked from behind while in two of the cases, the deceased had been attacked from the front.  Amarakoon et al.’s study also noted the methods adopted by the forensic medical officer to identify murders committed with the use of sharp weapons. These methods included identifying the body, recording the appearance of the corpse, identifying and recording the external features of the body, identifying lesions on the surface of the body, and recording the nature and extent of the lesions using numbers, identifying and recording the ante-mortem and postmortem injuries, identifying internal injuries through techniques such as x-rays, distinguishing between injuries sustained during any surgery and injuries stained due to the attack, identifying internal injuries and assessing the damage caused thereby to the internal organs, determining the severity of the injury, and presenting opinions regarding the weapon used according to the nature of the injury, on the force exerted by way of analysing the nature of the injury and the location of the injury and the injured person, and as to how the injury occurred as per the size and shape of the wound.  


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