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Abstract

Saliva is commonly found at crime scenes, particularly in crimes that involve sexual violence. Saliva was also frequently seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, through spit-related assaults to purposefully spread the coronavirus in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Spitting was considered to be a big problem because the coronavirus was a respiratory droplet transmission risk. This spreading behaviour was also seen in the HIV/AIDS epidemics, potential weaponisation of Ebola, and even possibly dated back to the Spanish Flu and Plague. Although this behaviour is seen to be prevalent across disease outbreaks, extensive research has been carried out on Blood Pattern Analysis (BPA) that would provide an interpretation or infer the type of activity that took place at a crime scene. However, there is no single study that exists which specifically focuses on saliva pattern analysis to refer the type of activity. To address this an experimental research design was conducted that involved 8 participants (3 male & 5 female) who were required to expel saliva through speaking, shouting, and spitting at a cotton material substrate. The saliva depositions were analysed with the Phadebas Forensic Press Test and the Lumatec Superlite S04 (alternate light source) utilising different wavelengths to optimise the fluorescence of the stain instead of just one wavelength across the entirety of the study. The research showed that spitting has definitive characteristics compared to shouting and speaking. The spit patterns were categorised as impact, drip, and spray patterns utilising BPA terminology. This study is the first of its kind, this experiment and the findings have set foundations towards saliva pattern analysis exploring the patterns formed from an activity that would provide an interpretation similar to BPA.

Course: Criminology and Forensic Studies - BSc (Hons) - C2039F

Date Deposited: 2024-11-20

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14524.html