Homicide and serious crime victims Flashcards
what are the responsibilities of the OC body
the OC body must:
- ensure death has been certified by a doctor or qualified paramedic using deceased persons certificate (pol265)
- maintain security and continuity of the body, samples and any exhibits relating to the body with dignity and respect
- note and record observations relating to the body
- note details of medical staff or others who have attended the victim
- record what actions have been taken by any party in respect of the body
- establish if the body has been moved or disturbed
- complete sudden death procedures
what must you do if the body has been disturbed
- do not attempt to restore the scene to its original unchanged condition
- make enquiries to enable the original unchanged scene to be subsequently reconstructed and photographed if required
- the body must not be moved without specific authority from the oc investigation
what steps do you take when recording and removing the body
Before recording or removing body, make an appreciation, consider the aim, factors, courses open and plan
- record the position of the body by sketch or by plan and direct the police photographer to take photographs. consider video recording or other imaging techniques
- in consultation with the crime scene coordinator and oc scene, consider marking and recording the position of the body before moving it eg measuring distance from at least two nearby fixed features
- record all details of the position of the body including:
- position of limbs
- appearance of body
- wounds and clothing
- direction of any trails of blood present on the body
- lividity if present
- extent of any rigor mortis present - consider health risks presented by handling of the body
- cover hands, feet and head with paper bags, secured with tape to prevent any trace evidence being lost when the body is moved. wide tape should be used, not too tight so as to create new marks on the body and must not be applied directly to the skin. similarly, rubber bands and other
- ensure clothing on the body is not contaminated by contact with foreign objects
what is the primary role of the oc body during a post mortem
to observe, document and deal with exhibits associated with the body, in a structured, methodical manner
what is the purpose of a post mortem
the primary reason for conducting a post mortem examination is to establish the cause of death, the pathologists findings will provide further information to drive the investigation which may include:
- determining where possible, the mode and time of death
- establish how injuries and/or events at the scene may have contributed toward the death of the victim
- determining the nature and size of any weapon(s) used
- determining the approximate height and stature of the of the suspect
- providing areas of interest for subsequent interviews of witnesses and/or suspects
- negating possible defences
- identifying the victim, if identity has not been established
who can attend the post mortem, and which Police staff members should attend
any doctor, nurse or funeral director attending (other than the authorised pathologist) are not permitted to assist with the post mortem and must observe only
police who should attend the post mortem are:
- the oc investigation
- the oc body
- a member specifically designated as exhibits officer for post mortem, if required
- police photographer
- SOCO or fingerprint officer if required
authority from the coroner should be sought before which parties attend the post mortem
particular consideration should be given to seeking authority from the coroner for the following parties to attend the post mortem:
- esr forensic scientist
- crown solicitor
who must you engage in the case of a serious crime involving a maori victim
- an iwi liaison officer must be engaged as early as possible
- this will support an understanding of an awareness of the maori traditions, protocols and beliefs, and enhance the relations between the investigation, family of the deceased and the maori community
when should formal identification take place
if possible, this should occur before the post mortem examination however it may not be possible due to risk of contamination
it is important those carrying out the formal identification are fully informed what is required of them and what they should expect to see when they view the deceased, particularly after a post mortem examination has taken place
where the identity of the victim cannot be established, what identification methods should you consider (in consultation with the coroner)
- fingerprints
- DNA profiling (ID may take 3 to 4 weeks or 48 hours for urgent analysis)
- dental records available through Region Forensic Dentistry advisor)
- eye examination records
- medical examination records including scars, birth marks, implants or prosthetics, x rays, surgical wounds, amputations and tattoos
- personal effects
- facial recognition
when skeletal remains are found, what information can they provide a pathologist, with the assistance of a forensic anthropologist
- whether the remains are actually bones
- whether the bones are human
- the age, gender, height and race of a person
when will the body be stripped
the stripping of the body will take place immediately before the post mortem examination commences but must only be undertaken on the specific direction of the oc investigation, generally after a visual examination and collection of evidence from the clothed body has been completed
what must you wear before entering the post mortem examination room or handling the body
- protective clothing ie foot coverings, latex gloves, overalls and face mask
- it may be convenient to wear more than one pair of gloves so that as a pair becomes soiled or worn, the outer pair can be removed to reveal a fresh pair beneath
in addition to photographs being taken at the scene what else must the oc body ensure the photographer at the mortuary takes sufficient photographs of
- the body before it is stripped; and
- the body after it is stripped
- close up photographs of any wounds, marks, internal injuries and unusual features
- photographs must include a measuring scale placed in proximity to the feature being photographed to make permanent record of the dimensions of the feature
- oc investigation will consult pathologist regarding any other photographic records required eg internal organs, radiological examination or computed tomography scans (ct or cat scans)
- radiological examination should be considered where appropriate ie non accidental injuries in children, deaths involving use of firearms or explosives, badly burnt or decomposed bodies or other applicable circumstances
what else is the oc body responsible for
- recording, labelling, packaging, sealing and securing all physical exhibits relating to the body including samples taken in the post mortem
- all exhibits must be packaged and sealed before leaving the mortuary and be recorded in a scene exhibits schedule
