Uncertainties in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis : An interview and questionnaire-based study

Sammanfattning: Forensic science is the field of study that studies crimes and crime scenes. One of the major sub-areas of forensic science is crime scene investigations (CSI). Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is a part of CSI and refers to the study of bloodstain patterns. The purpose of this project is to investigate the needs of those involved in the judicial chain when using a laser scanner to reconstruct a crime scene and how to represent any uncertainties. An additional purpose is to look into what expectations bloodstain pattern analysts have on their work situation. Interviews were held with nine persons involved in the judicial chain and an online questionnaire was distributed to the bloodstain pattern analysts across Sweden. To analyze the interviews a thematic analysis was used which led to three themes being identified (benefit, desires, obstacles) with eleven sub-themes. For the questionnaire two types of data were presented, numeric and written. The numeric result displayed results such as how confident they felt doing work or if the amount of cases was too much or too little. The written result displayed results showing that BPA is cumbersome, not because it is hard to use but rather because each case is unique, and many factors have to be considered. The conclusion of this study is that needs can be met using the framework that combined uncertainties and visualization, and the questionnaire showed that the bloodstain pattern analyst are a group of people who seek knowledge and welcome new technology.