Induced Uniqueness: An Artifice for Forensic Trace Identification

Abstract

There is consensus in the scientific community that uniqueness cannot be demonstrated through probabilistic procedures. Consequently, the Bayesian paradigm is imposed as the rule of logic for the interpretation of trace comparisons. The author, through an exploratory study, gives his considerations on how inferences can be avoided from the marking of the elements participating in the crime. He points out that through this procedure, uniqueness is artificially achieved, which allows arriving at categorical conclusions of identity. The suggested procedure is based on the new classification of characteristics into natural and artificial. Pointing out that for the latter, the frequency with which they appear in the population can be controlled, resulting in a closed set of elements. He contrasts through the Bayesian model the regularities established with the procedure. He concludes that through the marking it is possible to add characteristics in an artificial way, which in addition to serving in the criminalistic identification of traces, allows to associate different types of traces and to make the combined identification of the prints, which is beneficial to solve the crime.