The Persistence of Sperm and the Development of Time Since Intercourse (<scp>TSI</scp>) Guidelines in Sexual Assault Cases at Forensic Science Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Casey, David G.; Domijan, Katarina; MacNeill, Sarah; Rizet, Damien; O'Connell, Declan; Ryan, Jennifer M

doi:10.1111/1556-4029.13325

Cited by 32 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…-Morrison [172] detected spermatozoa 12 and 9 d after intercourse in the cervical and vaginal samples respectively, but noted that detection rate decreased progressively after 48 h. -A study by Casey et al [173] of the results of 1450 cases observed the longest sperm persistence in the vagina to be 96 h after intercourse with significant decline in detection after 18 h and again after 48 h. The same study noted that, on rare occasions, spermatozoa were detected in the anal and oral samples 48 h after the alleged offence, however rapid decline in detection was reported after 6 and 15 h respectively. -Hellerud et al [174] h, 65 h, 46 h and 6 h after the alleged offence, respectively.…”

Section: A C C E P T E Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA transfer in forensic science: A review

Oorschot

Szkuta

Meakin³

et al. 2019

Forensic Science International: Genetics

212

130

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Understanding the variables impacting DNA transfer, persistence, prevalence and recovery (DNA-TPPR) has become increasingly relevant in investigations of criminal activities to provide opinion on how the DNA of a person of interest became present within the sample collected. This review considers our current knowledge regarding DNA-TPPR to assist casework investigations of criminal activities. There is a growing amount of information available on DNA-TPPR to inform the relative probabilities of the evidence given alternative scenarios relating to the presence or absence of DNA from a specific person in a collected sample of interest. This information should be used where relevant. However, far more research is still required to better understand the variables impacting DNA-TPPR and to generate more accurate probability estimates of generating particular types of profiles in more casework relevant situations. This review explores means of achieving this. It also notes the need for all those interacting with an item of interest to have an awareness of DNA transfer possibilities post criminal activity, to limit the risk of contamination or loss of DNA. Appropriately trained forensic practitioners are best placed to provide opinion and guidance on the interpretation of profiles at the activity level. However, those requested to provide expert opinion on DNA-related activity level issues are often insufficiently trained to do so. We advocate recognition of DNA activity associated expertise to be distinct from expertise associated with the identification of individuals. This is to be supported by dedicated training, competency testing, authorisation, and regular fit for purpose proficiency testing. The possibilities for experts to report on activity-related issues will increase as our knowledge increases through further research, access to relevant data is enhanced, and tools to assist interpretations are better exploited. Improvement opportunities will be achieved sooner, if more laboratories and agencies accept the need to invest in these aspects as well as the training of practitioners.

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Section: A C C E P T E Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA transfer in forensic science: A review

Oorschot

Szkuta

Meakin³

et al. 2019

Forensic Science International: Genetics

212

130

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Research on reproduction and contraception has provided numerous useful insights into the characteristics of sperm following deposition into the female gynecologic tract. In the living, some of these events may impact the DNA quality of sperm collected and subsequently tested in a forensic setting . DNA degradation or sperm DNA fragmentation consists of single and double strand DNA breaks due to oxidative stress and apoptotic activity that occurs during the sperm cell's lifetime .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cold Case Homicides: DNA Testing of Retained Autopsy Sexual Assault Smears

Clark

Gill

Sasinouski³

et al. 2019

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Archival medical examiner specimens may contain perpetrator DNA evidence useful in unsolved (“cold case”) homicides. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) histology slide archives were searched for sexual assault smears for all 376 female homicides from 1990 to 1999. Of these, the OCME had sexual assault smears on 84 of which 13 slides had sperm. Of these 13, six were still unsolved. DNA profiles were obtained on all six (5 from smears and one from swabs). Combined DNA Index System ( submission resulted in two matches (“hits”) for new suspects. In addition, three suspects were eliminated in two cases. Our review of archival sexual assault smears resulted in DNA profiles that were able to assist in the investigation of four cold case homicide investigations. It may be worthwhile for medical examiner offices to search their archival histology slides for sexual assault smears on previously unsolved cases particularly those prior to the mid‐1990s when DNA testing was less widely available.

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“…The perpetrator may kiss many parts of the victim's body, may hit the victim, rip their hair as they grasp them, or violently rip off their clothes. The victim may be forcefully penetrated in his/her mouth, anus, or vagina [9], and then, the sexual act may occur involving anal or vaginal penetration-with or without ejaculation [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Most Common Medico-Legal Autopsy-Related Human and Nonhuman Biological Samples for DNA Analysis

Pádár¹,

Zenke²,

Kozma³

2018

Post Mortem Examination and Autopsy - Current Issues From Death to Laboratory Analysis

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The identification and individualization of biological evidences is crucial to actual criminal investigations. In spite of the differences at the national level, all the legal processes attribute particular importance to forensic DNA analysis. However, none of the qualified results from any professional laboratory can produce substantive, valuable evidence with insufficient quality of samples and/or problems with provision of a pristine and controlled environment. The methodology and efficiency of sampling are distinct in case of living persons and in medico-legal autopsy and crime scenes. This chapter is a short overview from the basic introductory information up to ongoing research, and in accordance with constraints on the chapter size, it briefly discusses the important topics of sample collection at medico-legal autopsy for DNA analysis. The content sorts the major types of samples, reviews the common methods of sampling and the potential risk of poor sampling or contamination transfer. The corpses can be more or less degraded, which in special cases (e.g., paraffin embedded tissues, drowned, burning and/or buried cadaver) allow only for analysis of highly degraded samples. The samples can be associated with tissues of a corpse (e.g., blood, soft tissues, bone, tooth, hair) and/or additional extraneous tissues and remains, which are often mixed (e.g., blood, saliva, semen, vaginal fluid, debris of fingernails) on the corpse.

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The Persistence of Sperm and the Development of Time Since Intercourse (TSI) Guidelines in Sexual Assault Cases at Forensic Science Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Cited by 32 publications

References 24 publications

DNA transfer in forensic science: A review

DNA transfer in forensic science: A review

Cold Case Homicides: DNA Testing of Retained Autopsy Sexual Assault Smears

Most Common Medico-Legal Autopsy-Related Human and Nonhuman Biological Samples for DNA Analysis

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