Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary study
Textiles are generally present when a crime takes place and, in some cases, may be directly linked to a crime. Due to changes that occur to fabric over time, there is a risk of clothing damage being misinterpreted, and vital evidence being missed. This study is the first of a number of studies explo...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Huddersfield Press
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Crime, Security and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.crimesecurityandsociety.org.uk/article/id/541/ |
| _version_ | 1827931635050348544 |
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| author | Esta Bostock Gareth Parkes Graham Williams |
| author_facet | Esta Bostock Gareth Parkes Graham Williams |
| author_sort | Esta Bostock |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Textiles are generally present when a crime takes place and, in some cases, may be directly linked to a crime. Due to changes that occur to fabric over time, there is a risk of clothing damage being misinterpreted, and vital evidence being missed. This study is the first of a number of studies exploring the effect of decomposition upon clothing damage evidence following a stabbing. Sections of porcine tissue were wrapped in fabric in which stab cuts had been created, and left exposed to the environment alongside negative controls. Images of the damage were taken before and after a period of decomposition over two weeks. When compared to the negative controls, these images clearly demonstrated that there was a significant amount of alteration to the clothing damage evidence e.g. loose and fraying yarns, following a period of decomposition. Quantification of the fraying to the damage showed a statistically significant increase of the amount of fraying (p=<0.05). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:55:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-046d746285374b3f89fc4b6b7fae3388 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2398-130X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:55:26Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Huddersfield Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crime, Security and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-046d746285374b3f89fc4b6b7fae33882023-06-07T08:54:19ZengUniversity of Huddersfield PressCrime, Security and Society2398-130X2018-12-011210.5920/css.541Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary studyEsta Bostock0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9590-1431Gareth Parkes1Graham Williams2University of HuddersfieldUniversity of HuddersfieldStaffordshire UniversityTextiles are generally present when a crime takes place and, in some cases, may be directly linked to a crime. Due to changes that occur to fabric over time, there is a risk of clothing damage being misinterpreted, and vital evidence being missed. This study is the first of a number of studies exploring the effect of decomposition upon clothing damage evidence following a stabbing. Sections of porcine tissue were wrapped in fabric in which stab cuts had been created, and left exposed to the environment alongside negative controls. Images of the damage were taken before and after a period of decomposition over two weeks. When compared to the negative controls, these images clearly demonstrated that there was a significant amount of alteration to the clothing damage evidence e.g. loose and fraying yarns, following a period of decomposition. Quantification of the fraying to the damage showed a statistically significant increase of the amount of fraying (p=<0.05).https://www.crimesecurityandsociety.org.uk/article/id/541/forensic textileknivesclothing damageintegrity of evidencedecomposition |
| spellingShingle | Esta Bostock Gareth Parkes Graham Williams Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary study Crime, Security and Society forensic textile knives clothing damage integrity of evidence decomposition |
| title | Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary study |
| title_full | Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary study |
| title_fullStr | Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary study |
| title_short | Effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence: A preliminary study |
| title_sort | effect of decomposition on clothing damage evidence a preliminary study |
| topic | forensic textile knives clothing damage integrity of evidence decomposition |
| url | https://www.crimesecurityandsociety.org.uk/article/id/541/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT estabostock effectofdecompositiononclothingdamageevidenceapreliminarystudy AT garethparkes effectofdecompositiononclothingdamageevidenceapreliminarystudy AT grahamwilliams effectofdecompositiononclothingdamageevidenceapreliminarystudy |