Forensic Science Ireland, Backweston Laboratory Campus, Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.
J Forensic Sci. 2024 Jul;69(4):1481-1489. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.15539. Epub 2024 May 4.
The potential evidential value of male underwear in cases of alleged sexual assault is often overlooked. Male underwear can be a critical item in the investigation of alleged sexual assaults. Body fluids/DNA, which may transfer to the penis during sexual contact, may in turn transfer to the inside front of the underwear, and persist for months or years, provided the underwear are not washed. Here, we demonstrate how the case circumstances drive the sampling strategy of male underwear, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the forensic analysis. Sampling considerations including recovery methods and sampling sequence are discussed, and a methodical examination strategy of male underwear is proposed. To highlight the pertinence of male underwear to the investigation of alleged sexual assaults, three real-life cases are discussed, in which male underwear were examined for multiple body fluids/DNA, and the findings obtained proved evidentially significant. The different cases demonstrate the versatility of male underwear examination in situations, where different body fluids and DNA may transfer based on the specific allegation, and emphasize how targeted sampling can allow the scientist to assess the probability of the findings based on two competing propositions. Accurate sampling strategies are imperative for robust probability assignment in evaluative reporting of scientific findings.
在涉嫌性侵犯案件中，男性内衣的潜在证据价值往往被忽视。男性内衣可能是涉嫌性侵犯案件调查的关键项目。体液/DNA 在性接触过程中可能转移到阴茎上，进而转移到内衣的前内侧，如果内衣没有清洗，这些物质可以持续数月甚至数年。在这里，我们展示了案件情况如何驱动男性内衣的采样策略，以最大限度地提高法医分析的效果。讨论了采样考虑因素，包括回收方法和采样顺序，并提出了一种有条理的男性内衣检查策略。为了突出男性内衣对涉嫌性侵犯调查的针对性，讨论了三个真实案例，其中对男性内衣进行了多种体液/DNA 检测，所得结果具有明显的证据意义。不同的案例展示了男性内衣检查在不同情况下的多功能性，根据具体指控，不同的体液和 DNA 可能会转移，并强调了有针对性的采样如何使科学家能够根据两个相互竞争的命题评估发现的可能性。准确的采样策略对于科学发现的评估报告中稳健的概率赋值至关重要。
