A laboratory dedicated to on-site digital investigation

18 January 2023Articles, Technological innovationscomputer science, digital traces, innovations technologiquesadmin

TRACIP, a specialist in digital forensics, has developed several mobile laboratories to enable law enforcement to conduct investigations as close to the field as possible. Among these laboratories, the mobil’IT is an exclusive model that allows digital forensic investigators to perform forensic analyses and data recovery in an autonomous, mobile, and collaborative mode.

The Challenge of Mobility in Investigations

Investigators face multiple challenges in the course of their work, particularly the need to accelerate investigations. Shortening delays and minimizing handling steps to preserve digital evidence—given its inherent « fragility »—is a growing concern. Solutions that make it possible to deploy evidence processing and analysis tools directly at the intervention scene provide a strong response to these challenges. Since 2014, Tracip (a Deveryware entity belonging to Flandrin Technologies, the cyber division of the ChapsVision group), the first French private laboratory specializing in digital forensic expertise, has developed the mobil’IT dedicated to digital investigations. Designed to support investigators during their interventions, this laboratory takes the form of a vehicle containing all the equipment necessary to conduct on-site digital investigations.

Offering the Same Qualities as a Fixed Laboratory

The mobil’IT, a highly equipped vehicle, has been designed to maximize the use of its equipment and streamline workflows in a mobile context. It offers the same functionalities as a fixed, “traditional” laboratory while being fully autonomous. The information system plays a central role here: it acts as the nerve center, enabling investigative teams to carry out their missions without constraints while staying connected to the outside world through both traditional communication channels (4G, satellite, etc.) and dedicated ones (encrypted private networks). The internal network distribution works just like in any other laboratory, whether copper- or fiber-based. In addition, it has its own built-in resources for full autonomy, including multiple servers. Its configuration also makes it possible to access the contents of flash memories and defective or damaged hard drives.

With autonomous power supply, dedicated equipment (IT racks, workstations, cleanroom), communication systems, and more, the configuration provides flexibility and efficiency to support case resolution.

Intérieur du mobil'IT - investigation numérique — *The mobil’IT’s equipment enables fully autonomous digital investigations*

The specificity of digital evidence

Today, investigators face increasing difficulty in quickly and effectively synthesizing large volumes of information. Analytical tools and methods continue to evolve in order to process and exploit ever-growing amounts of data and to highlight the most relevant elements as rapidly as possible. In an increasingly digital world, accessing evidence requires the implementation of rigorous collection techniques that can withstand legal scrutiny.

Digital forensics allows investigators to transform traces into admissible digital evidence, ensuring its use in judicial proceedings. With the rise of cloud computing, the growing diversity and volume of data, and crimes that have become highly technical in nature (network breaches, cybersecurity, etc.), digital forensics is forced to adapt. Reliability of results is essential, as well as processing speed—especially when deadlines are short. For example, when a suspect is in custody, investigators have very limited time. In the case of a disappearance, every minute counts.

The central challenge of digital forensics is therefore to ensure the preservation of evidence and to prevent the alteration or falsification of identifying data (author, timestamp, device), in order to demonstrate the origin and integrity of digital documents. Otherwise, such evidence will not be admissible in court.

The collection, analysis, and reporting of digital evidence during a « field » operation requires heightened vigilance in handling the data. In a mobile context, digital evidence is even more fragile, volatile, and difficult to locate. The mobil’IT was specifically designed to address this challenge.

Mobile forensic laboratories: TRACIP’s expertise

TRACIP has developed unique expertise in mobile digital forensics, offering both deployable laboratories and portable on-site investigation kits (notably the Field k’IT backpack, a backpack including a hexib’IT laptop, an external blocker, and a duplicator).

In terms of mobile laboratories, TRACIP worked jointly with the IRCGN (French Gendarmerie Criminal Research Institute) to develop the mobil’DNA, a mobile laboratory dedicated to rapid DNA analysis for human identification. This deployable system is unmatched worldwide, enabling rapid genetic testing of large numbers of biological samples for the identification of multiple victims, whether in cases of terrorism, accidents, or natural disasters. In July 2022, the Crisis and Support Centre of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs delivered a mobil’DNA / Lab’ADN unit to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. This initiative formed part of France’s support to Ukrainian authorities in identifying victims of Russia’s aggression.

Rapid DNA analysis

Unlike conventional DNA analysis processes, the mobil’DNA can deliver genetic profiles for the first 21 samples within just two hours—including startup and calibration phases. After that, 21 new analysis results are generated every 30 minutes. This performance is based on a patented innovation by the IRCGN: the GendSAG (Gendarmerie Sample And Go), a new-generation swab containing a biological reactor that eliminates the extraction step. Its microfibers are designed to capture biological traces with great precision, minimizing their degradation and making DNA immediately available for PCR amplification and genotyping through capillary electrophoresis sequencing.

Mobil'DNA laboratoire mobile génétique offert à l'Ukraine par la France - investigation numérique — *The mobil’DNA delivered to Ukraine in July 2022 – Credit: Jonathan Sarago – MEAE*

Fully energy-autonomous, the mobil’DNA is capable of genetically analyzing up to 200 biological samples per day. It carries an entire workflow on board, from sampling to results. In addition, the analysis equipment can be deployed by air transport if needed. This device has been field-tested on multiple occasions, notably during Storm Alex (Alpes-Maritimes – 2020), the Nice attack (2016), and the Germanwings plane crash (Southern Alps – 2015).

L’ADN à l’origine des portraits-robot !

5 January 2023NewsADN, avancés scientifiques, biometrics, génétiqueadmin

Pour dessiner le portrait-robot d’un suspect, on avait coutume de faire appel à un portraitiste et à des logiciels spécialisés. Désormais, la police scientifique utilise aussi l’ADN récupérée sur la scène de crime pour dresser un profil physique très proche de la réalité.

En 1982, Edward Crabe, un australien de 57 ans, est assassiné dans sa chambre d’hôtel de Gold Coast situé dans l’état du Queensland. Malgré les nombreux témoignages recueillis et le prélèvement d’échantillons de sang sur la scène de crime, les enquêteurs ne réussissent pas à retrouver le coupable. 40 ans plus tard, la police australienne relance ce « cold case » en faisant appel au phénotypage de l’ADN. Cette technique encore récente, pratiquée notamment dans le laboratoire d’hématologie médico-légal de Bordeaux, permet de créer à partir de quelques cellules sanguines, le portrait-robot d’un suspect susceptible d’être identifié par les témoins ou l’entourage.

Même inconnu, l’ADN parle !

C’est en tout cas ce qu’espèrent les policiers du Queensland qui ont lancé un nouvel appel à témoins le 9 novembre 2022. Ils comptent ainsi résoudre l’assassinat d’Edward Crabe grâce au portrait-robot établi à partir du sang retrouvé dans la chambre de la victime. Un premier profil ADN avait déjà été établi en 2020 mais celui-ci n’étant pas enregistré dans les bases de données nationales, les enquêteurs s’étaient rapidement retrouvés dans une impasse. Or, l’immense avantage du phénotypage, c’est que même lorsqu’un ADN n’est fiché nulle part, il n’en constitue pas moins une mine de renseignements sur la personne correspondante.

En quoi consiste cette technique ? On sait aujourd’hui que le matériel génétique renferme de très nombreuses informations, notamment sur le sexe, l’origine ethnique, la santé et l’apparence physique d’un individu. Les récentes techniques de séquençage de l’ADN permettent désormais d’analyser les séquences génétiques dites « codantes » et d’isoler celles qui renferment les indications morphologiques. Les scientifiques peuvent ainsi déterminer de façon suffisamment précise la forme d’un visage, la couleur de la peau, des yeux et des cheveux, une prédisposition à la calvitie ou encore la présence de taches de rousseur. A partir de ce profil génétique, il est possible d’établir un profil physique qui n’est à l’heure actuelle, ni complet, ni parfait mais qui peut permettre de réveiller les souvenirs de potentiels témoins.

Une technique qui tend à se perfectionner

Il existe aujourd’hui dans le Monde plusieurs équipes de chercheurs qui travaillent à perfectionner l’analyse de ces séquences génétiques liées au phénotype. L’objectif ? Aller toujours plus loin dans la recherche des caractéristiques physiques des individus en prédisant par exemple la forme du lobe des oreilles ou encore l’âge de la personne étant à l’origine de la trace relevée.

Tous ces renseignements servent ensuite à mettre au point des programmes statistiques capables d’élaborer un portrait-robot génétique le plus proche possible de la réalité. Ces programmes, qui existent déjà aux États Unis, sont nourris par les entreprises proposant aux particuliers des tests ADN pour connaître leur généalogie et qui collaborent également avec les forces de l’ordre.

Dernièrement, une étude sur les sosies réalisée par une équipe de chercheurs du Leukaemia Research Institute à Barcelone (Espagne), est venue renforcer la réalité de ce portrait physique littéralement inscrit dans les gènes. En analysant l’ADN de ces « jumeaux virtuels », les scientifiques ont identifié des caractéristiques génétiques communes qui ne s’arrêtent d’ailleurs pas à une apparence physique similaire. Elles sont également capables d’influencer certains comportements en matière d’alimentation et même d’éducation. Des résultats qui selon l’auteure principale de l’étude, Manel Esteller « auront des implications futures en médecine légale – reconstruire le visage du criminel à partir de l’ADN – et en diagnostic génétique – la photo du visage du patient donnera déjà des indices sur le génome qu’il possède. Grâce à des efforts de collaboration, le défi ultime serait de prédire la structure du visage d’une personne à partir de son paysage multiomique“ .

Portraits-robot ADN génétique police scientifique aide dans la résolution des enquêtes judiciaires. — *Exemple de portraits-robot génétique édités par Snapshot DNA analysis*

Le projet européen VISAGE

L’objectif global du projet européen VISAGE (VISible Attributes Through GEnomics) est d’élargir l’utilisation judiciaire de l’ADN vers la construction de portraits-robot d’auteurs inconnus à partir de traces ADN le plus rapidement possible dans les cadres juridiques actuels et les lignes directrices éthiques.

Le consortium VISAGE est composé de 13 partenaires issus d’institutions universitaires, policières et judiciaires de 8 pays européens, et réunit des chercheurs en génétique légale et des praticiens en ADN judiciaire, des généticiens statistiques et des spécialistes en sciences sociales. Les objectifs sont :

d’établir de nouvelles connaissances scientifiques dans le domaine du phénotypage de l’ADN,
d’élaborer et valider de nouveaux outils dans l’analyse de l’ADN et l’interprétation statistique,
de valider et mettre en œuvre ces outils dans la pratique judiciaire,
d’étudier les dimensions éthiques, sociétales et réglementaires,
de diffuser largement les résultats et sensibiliser les différents protagonistes concernant la prédiction de l’apparence, de l’âge et de l’ascendance bio-géographique d’une personne à partir de traces d’ADN,
d’aider la justice à trouver des auteurs inconnus d’actes criminels au moyen du profilage de l’ADN

Pour aller plus loin :

https://snapshot.parabon-nanolabs.com/

Sources

https://www.newsendip.com/fr/comment-la-police-australienne-espere-resoudre-un-meurtre-de-1982-avec-un-nouveau-portrait-robot-issu-de-ladn-du-suspect/

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/faits-divers/police/enquete-quand-ladn-dessine-des-portraits-robots_4882409.html

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220823115609.htm

Brain fingerprinting: a new identification method?

16 December 2022Newsbiometrics, identificationadmin

The Earth is home to eight billion people, and each of them is unique. This individuality has long been harnessed in identification processes—through genetics, fingerprint analysis, and, in the near future, brain fingerprinting.

If the 20th century was marked by technological progress, the 21st will undoubtedly be the century of neuroscience. Thanks to new fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) techniques, it is now possible to capture the “fingerprint” of a brain in less than two minutes—an imprint just as unique as those found at the tips of our fingers, enabling the identification of an individual with an accuracy approaching 100%.

A unique brain fingerprint

Beyond overall brain volume and cortical thickness, the research team at the University of Zurich working on this question has identified anatomical features that are specific to each brain, particularly in the organization of gyri and sulci—patterns that strongly resemble fingerprint ridges. This cerebral “architecture” is shaped not only by genetics but also by the practice of certain activities, life events (such as physical trauma), and the wide range of experiences that a person may undergo throughout their lifetime.

However, it is not so much the image of the brain as its neuronal activity that defines this brain fingerprint. The signals captured by fMRI are synthesized to generate a map of neural networks known as the functional brain connectome. By analyzing this connectome, researchers can create a visual summary in the form of a graph that allows them to track brain activity, identify which regions are engaged (whether sensory or cognitive), and—most importantly for identification purposes—distinguish one individual from another.

Brain fingerprinting in biometrics

Since MRI scans are still time-consuming and expensive procedures, it is unlikely that this identification method will replace fingerprint scanners in the near future.

Nevertheless, government institutions and certain private companies operating in sensitive sectors are showing strong interest in developing biometric technologies based on the identification of brain signals, which could provide advanced security for digital identities.

From smartphones to high-security facilities, systems equipped with fingerprint readers are already in widespread use, but experience has shown that such methods can be falsified. Brain fingerprinting, on the other hand, is essentially tamper-proof, as it relies on a technology driven by a specific and complex algorithm. To implement this form of cerebral biometrics, scientists use an EEG headset (electroencephalography) to record brainwaves generated in response to various sensory stimuli—such as infrequent words, black-and-white or colored images. These responses, which differ from one person to another, constitute an inviolable identity encoded within the brain. Moreover, this profile would be disrupted if the individual were subjected to coercion or violence. Thus, brain fingerprinting could emerge as a biometric technique superior to existing methods, even surpassing retinal scanning, often considered one of the most sophisticated techniques, and opening the door to new applications in forensic science..

Sources :

https://www.futura-sciences.com/tech/actualites/technologie-biometrie-empreintes-cerebrales-nous-identifier-62535/

https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/sante/cerveau-et-psy/neurosciences-chaque-cerveau-possede-sa-propre-empreinte-digitale_158577

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1832469/cerveau-empreintes-cerebrales-empreintes-digitales

Ghost guns, a genuine threat

5 December 2022Newsadmin

All firearms are traceable by police forces around the world thanks to their manufacturing characteristics and their serial numbers. All of them—except for weapons manufactured with a 3D printer, which have appeared in several European countries in recent years.

In 2013, Cody Wilson, a law student at the University of Texas, founded the company Defense Distributed with the aim of developing and distributing 3D-printed firearms. When he published his first free CAD (computer-aided design) file to manufacture a plastic pistol called the Liberator, the response was immediate: no fewer than 100,000 downloads in just two days.

The event did not go unnoticed by the U.S. government, which demanded the file to be removed. That marked the start of a legal battle that culminated in 2018 with the Trump administration’s move effectively legalizing 3D-printed firearms. That decision, blocked in 2019 by a federal judge, was promptly countered by the pro-gun activist network Deterrence Dispensed, which continued to distribute firearm design files invoking the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” These ghost guns now proliferate in American cities, raising growing concern throughout North America.

UNIDENTIFIABLE AND UNTRACEABLE

Although completely illegal in Europe, these manufacturing files nonetheless circulate on the internet. According to the European police agency EUROPOL, seizures of 3D-printed weapons in the course of investigations on European territory have steadily increased in recent years. Evidence of this includes the dismantling of a workshop dedicated to their production in Spain and the arrest in the United Kingdom of individuals linked to far-right circles who were in possession of components for 3D-printed weapons.

If ghost guns worry authorities on both sides of the Atlantic, it is primarily because they evade any possibility of identification. Every firearm manufactured through an industrial process bears characteristic marks left on its various components (firing pin, ejector, barrel, etc.), as well as on cartridge cases and projectiles, producing a kind of fingerprint unique in the same way as a fingerprint. In most cases, current investigative techniques are also able to recover a serial number even when it has been deliberately obliterated. By contrast, a weapon produced by a 3D printer lacks all of these elements that would allow investigators to trace its origin or to count how many are in circulation.

Another cause for concern is the materials that make up this new generation of weapons. They are generally thermoplastics such as PLA (polylactic acid), derived from renewable resources, or ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), a thermoplastic polymer widely used in household appliances. In both cases, the pistol will not trigger walk-through metal detectors, rendering security measures in public places ineffective—particularly against terrorist attempts. It is all the more undetectable because it can be disassembled piece by piece and then reassembled by hand in a few minutes.

A MAJOR CHALLENGE POSED BY TECHNOLOGY

The only reassuring point in the face of this new threat is the many fragilities of these ghost guns. The manufacturing process with current printers is complex, and the thermoplastics used tend either to deform, crack or break. Confronted with the explosive force of a gunshot, the structure does not hold: tests have shown that the user can usually fire only a single round before one of the weapon’s components fails catastrophically. There are 3D-printed metal gun models, but they are very expensive and thereby lose their “invisibility.”

For experts, however, it is the next development that should be kept in mind. With 3D technologies evolving constantly and very rapidly, one should expect a new generation of printers and higher-performance materials to emerge in the near future, which could then make producing a weapon as simple as child’s play.

Sources :

https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/698724/violence-armee-les-armes-fantomes-un-phenomene-qui-inquiete

https://www.3dnatives.com/armes-imprimees-en-3d-08092020/

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/europe/union-europeenne/de-plus-en-plus-d-armes-imprimees-en-3d-saisies-en-europe-selon-europol_5163001.html

https://www.noovo.info/video/le-ghost-gun-une-nouvelle-menace-pour-les-policiers-au-canada.html

Bite marks: reliable evidence?

26 October 2022Newsforenseek, médecine-légale, morsures, police scientifiqueadmin

While dental analysis has become an established technique in forensic identification, the reliability of bite mark analysis is now under scrutinity due to the lack of sufficient scientific grounding.

Like DNA or fingerprints, teeth and jaws constitute a unique “identity card” for each individual. This observation gave rise to a distinct branch of forensic medicine—forensic odontology—which found one of its earliest applications in 1897, during the Bazar de la Charité fire in Paris. Faced with completely charred and unrecognizable bodies, the authorities decided to call upon the victims’ dentists.

When teeth leave their marks

Since then, this method of identification has been systematically employed whenever human remains must be identified, whether individually or in mass disaster situations, regardless of the circumstances of death. Dental structures are highly resistant to nearly all destructive factors, including burial, cremation, immersion, and even physico-chemical assaults.

In the absence of other data, a forensic odontologist’s examination of teeth—considering pathologies and tooth wear patterns in particular—can provide valuable information on sex, age, ethnicity, and dietary habits. By comparison with ante-mortem dental records, such analyses can formally establish an individual’s identity.

Another area of forensic odontology involves the interpretation of bite marks found on victims—whether living or deceased—as well as on perpetrators or even on certain objects. Today, experts conduct these analyses using digital technologies such as 3D laser scanning, which may lead either to the identification or, conversely, to the exclusion of a potential assailant. However, since there is no standardized or automated methodology and interpretation must take into account numerous factors beyond dental patterns, some specialists argue that this forensic technique lacks sufficient scientific grounding and cannot be considered conclusive evidence.

Reliability under scrutiny

The controversy, which began in the United States in 2009 with a study published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, has recently resurfaced following a draft report issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), questioning the scientific rigor of such analyses.

According to NIST, the interpretation of bite marks relies on two fundamental assumptions: first, that dental impressions are unique; second, that bite marks remain perfectly preserved regardless of the medium. In reality, they often involve only part of the dentition (primarily the anterior teeth). Moreover, human skin—the most common substrate for such marks—is by nature a pliable tissue, subject to distortion depending on its elasticity, the victim’s movements, the development of bruising, and the degree of healing at the site. All these factors, experts argue, undermine the reliability of bite mark comparison as a means of incriminating a suspect.Although this federal agency’s report is still in draft form, its preliminary findings are already stirring significant debate within the scientific community and among advocacy organizations working to prove the innocence of individuals wrongfully convicted. One such organization, the Innocence Project, based in the United States, has highlighted that 26 people were wrongfully convicted on the basis of bite mark evidence—an alarming fact that foreshadows numerous legal battles to come

Sources

https://www.scientifique-en-chef.gouv.qc.ca/impacts/ddr-medecine-legale-les-marques-de-dents-une-science-exacte/

https://reason.com/2022/10/19/federal-report-adds-to-the-evidence-that-bitemark-analysis-is-nonsense/

https://www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/pjgn/ircgn/l-expertise-decodee/identification/les-dents-aussi-discriminantes-que-l-adn

https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01947165

https://innocenceproject.org/what-is-bite-mark-evidence-forensic-science/

The National Gendarmerie’s MAEVAS Kit (Support and Examination Kit for Sexual Assault Victims)

3 October 2022Articles, Forensic medecine, Justiceadmin

The fight against all forms of sexual violence and assault is a constant concern of the Gendarmerie units, which work daily in the field in partnership with all institutional and non-governmental stakeholders involved in addressing this phenomenon.

While improving the training of military personnel and strengthening prevention of such cases are essential approaches to optimizing the current system, the judicial phase remains crucial to identify perpetrators and bring them before the courts.

Victims of sexual assault may either report to an investigative unit, go to a hospital (Emergency Department or Sexual Violence Unit), or contact an association whose mission is to support victims of such offenses.

In the first case, this results in the filing of a formal complaint. In hospital settings or through an association, at the very least an official report is made. If the assault occurred within the previous five days, the victim enters a pathway that includes reception and support, anamnesis, forensic sampling, and traceability. Beyond five days, the victim is directed to information and medico-social support.

When a formal complaint is filed, the victim then follows a pathway sometimes experienced as burdensome or constraining, requiring multiple appointments where she must repeatedly recount what happened, undergo forensic examinations, and allow the seizure of items and objects for the purposes of a procedure, with sealed evidence forwarded to a forensic or hospital laboratory for medico-legal analysis. Otherwise, it is at least essential to ensure the preservation of the samples in the event of a later complaint or judicial referral.

Additional obstacles may include inadequate reception conditions or delays in the process. This causes stress for victims and their families, and some abandon their initial steps.

In this context, beginning in 2018, the National Gendarmerie developed the “MAEVAS” Program—Support and Examination Kit for Sexual Assault Victims—under the supervision of the National Gendarmerie’s Criminal Research Institute (IRCGN) in Pontoise (95).

Better supporting victims of sexual assault

“MAEVAS” offers an innovative, comprehensive approach designed to support victims of the most serious sexual offenses, regardless of age or gender, while providing collaborative methodological and forensic tools that enable all necessary investigations. These tools are grouped in a single kit, to facilitate the resolution of this category of offenses—from the reception of the victim filing a complaint, to the collection of forensic samples—aiming for optimum judicial processing while ensuring continuous support for the victim and her or his relatives throughout the investigation.

The aim is to avoid subjecting the victim to repeated interviews or subsequent supplementary procedures, which could be traumatizing. The body of a victim is not a crime scene like any other!

Indeed, the Medico-Judicial Units (Unité Médico-Judiciaire, UMJ)—where medical staff work in cooperation with the judicial authority, performing medical procedures at the request of investigators or the courts—are the structures best suited to respond effectively to this need. However, half of France is not provided with UMJs, which are often, if not exclusively, located in National Police jurisdictions where hospital emergency services are also available. The situation is very different in areas under the jurisdiction of the National Gendarmerie, particularly in overseas departments and territories.

Initially deployed within Gendarmerie units located far from an UMJ, “MAEVAS” will help reduce territorial inequalities and can be especially implemented in overseas territories.

Its availability in reception units should make it possible—where timely treatment in an UMJ is not feasible (due to distance, accessibility, etc.)—for a physician working in private practice, specifically requisitioned, to carry out the necessary forensic examinations in his or her office. This ensures that no victim is left without an appropriate response, which would otherwise undermine the recognition of the assault. The project is therefore based on close collaboration among all stakeholders, centered on the condition and support needs of every victim of such aggression.

In the future, “MAEVAS” may also be deployed in prisons or universities (hazing), and even in the sports environment. The concept could also be adapted for use within the Armed Forces (sexual assaults during overseas operations, aboard Navy vessels, on military bases, etc.) through the involvement of military physicians.

A complete forensic kit for investigators and physicians

The kit includes a summary document gathering multiple recommendations—from advice on how to welcome a victim, to forensic sampling procedures, and including aspects relating to interviews and victim support. In its initial version, a simplified content focusing primarily on suspect identification is proposed, allowing for faster initial deployment.

It also contains:

– The necessary consumables, provided as pre-packaged kits, dedicated to various screenings and preliminary sampling (DNA, toxicology, trace evidence, hygiene kit, etc.), with the objective of identifying the perpetrator;

– Guideline sheets to assist with sampling, as well as recommendations (health and forensic considerations, evidence location and preservation, etc.), for doctors and investigators, ensuring continuity of procedures and communication among all stakeholders.

“MAEVAS” can thus be deployed in units located far from Medico-Judicial Units (UMJ) and hospital services. It is the responsibility of these units to ensure that any victim reporting to their premises is supported with a “MAEVAS” kit.

Mallette MAEVAS d'aide dans les affaires d'agressions sexuelles - Police scientifique - Forenseek — *Description of the kit for sexual assault victims 40×32.5×12cm – © PJGN – IRCGN*

Furthermore, given that Medico-Judicial Units (UMJs) and hospital emergency services wish to strengthen their contacts with investigators in order to improve coordination and operational actions, it may be envisaged in the future, in cooperation with the Ministry of Solidarity and Health, to provide them with “MAEVAS” kits.

The resolution of such cases requires complementary actions among stakeholders addressing both the condition and support needs of every victim of this type of assault. These actors often intervene one after the other, whereas a global, complementary, harmonized, and systematic approach would be less traumatic for the victim and allow investigators to make better use of the evidence. It is with this aim that on 13 March 2019 in Pontoise (95), a Gend’Lab(*) was organized on the theme: “Violence against women: the strengths of MAEVAS (Support and Examination Kit for Sexual Assault Victims).” The purpose of this Gend’Lab was to bring together all stakeholders able to contribute to the design and support of the kit, both upstream and downstream of its use (victim support associations, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, the Medical Council, etc.).

* : Événement ouvert au public organisé par la Gendarmerie Nationale qui a pour objet d’exposer ses travaux ou projets scientifiques et techniques en présence des partenaires du projet et des organisations intéressées par le thème.

With “MAEVAS,” each actor involved completes their share of the case file, resulting in a coherent judicial file that can be easily used by a magistrate.

A pilot project launched in the first half of 2022

The “MAEVAS” kit, combining both the forensic dimension (support for investigators) and the victim-assistance dimension (references to victim-support associations), has been the subject of a field trial since mid-2022 in the departments of Charente-Maritime (17), Cher (18), and Val-d’Oise (95), which have different medico-legal environments.

As for overseas specificities, the Overseas Gendarmerie Command and the Ministry of Overseas France proposed piloting the kit in Réunion, due to its insular nature and the significant volume of cases potentially concerned by “MAEVAS,” and in French Polynesia, due to its multiple insularities, relative isolation, and the difficulties that may arise in accessing appropriate medical and forensic care.

Improving the response to victims

Each kit is intended for a specific actor and action, accompanied by an adapted form. This will help automate and standardize forensic and investigative procedures. The kit’s composition must be standardized and traceable (e.g., expiration dates), with careful consideration given to the preservation of collected samples.

This initiative demonstrates that specialists can combine their efforts and share experiences, clarify roles and responsibilities, and avoid wasting time and expertise, all for the benefit of addressing victims’ situations. A fine-grained understanding of the phenomenon is indispensable, enabling the system to be adapted over time.

Victims must be able to trust the State’s response, as they fear for themselves or their relatives. They need to know that support is available to mitigate the family trauma. This is especially true since victims often fear not being listened to or believed when reporting the facts.

Forensic Entomology

26 September 2022Articles, Forensic medecineadmin

Dead bodies are a highly contested resource: some insects do not hesitate to travel kilometers to lay their eggs there. This necrophagous entomofauna is usually discreet but omnipresent: the slightest dead animal is immediately colonized. Even though human bodies are rare compared to other animals, they do not escape this fatal attraction.

As soon as death occurs, a body attracts new occupants: if the weather is good, flies arrive in just a few minutes. They lay hundreds of eggs, which hatch into just as many maggots. Under the effect of this rapid and massive colonization, the corpse becomes a true ecosystem. Forensic entomology analyzes the insects within this ecosystem in order to estimate the time and sometimes the circumstances of death. This type of expertise has deep roots (the first written records date back to the 13th century), but the methods have evolved considerably in recent years. At the end of the 19th century, a French veterinarian, J.P. Mégnin, proposed a chronology based on the succession of insects. This principle, known as the “theory of squads of carrion insects”, long served as a reference for dating corpses. It was gradually abandoned, however, because of its lack of precision and reliability. The squad method is therefore no longer used for judicial dating, which now relies instead on calculating the age of larvae.

Which insects colonize a corpse?

The most common and abundant species are flies from the family Calliphoridae. Females can detect a body from kilometers away and even enter houses. Each female lays a cluster of about 200 eggs, which hatch into small maggots. Despite their small size, these eggs and young larvae are relatively easy to spot: they are generally found around the face (eyes, nostrils, eyebrows), the scalp, at the interface with the ground, or in moist and protected areas (clothing). These blowfly larvae feed on the flesh for several days, then move away from the corpse to find a shelter where they transform into pupae (cocoons) inside which they metamorphose into adult flies. In addition to Calliphoridae, flies from the families Muscidae, Faniidae and Sarcophagidae also colonize corpses, though at a later stage. Their biology allows them to develop and reproduce on the same corpse for several generations. Some species can even penetrate confined spaces such as coffins, where they are observed in abundance during exhumations.

Throughout decomposition, beetles from the families Necrophoridae, Histeridae and Staphylinidae may also be found. Apart from some common species such as Necrodes littoralis or Creophilus maxilosus, these insects are relatively poorly understood and therefore provide little information for dating death. One exception are dermestid beetles (literally “skin eaters”), small beetles that feed on dried flesh. Dermestids are common in warm and dry climates as well as in corpses found indoors, where they can quickly proliferate and lead to rapid skeletonization. Their molts and droppings are then found in abundance, forming a kind of fibrous soil (called “frass”). Such traces can provide a reliable estimate of the post-mortem interval, even several months after death.

Finally, there is also a multitude of opportunistic or occasional species that take advantage of the presence of a corpse in their environment to feed or hunt. These include moths, wasps, ants, spiders, dung beetles, and other more or less accidental species. While they should not be ruled out in principle, they often provide little information. In fact, the vast majority of forensic entomology expertise is based on the analysis of fly larvae, mainly Calliphoridae.

The Role of Forensic Entomology Expertise

The use of insects becomes essential when classical forensic dating techniques are no longer effective—that is, 48 to 72 hours after death. The first step in entomological expertise consists of collecting the insects found on and around the body, and then identifying them. Sampling must be performed by a properly trained individual, most often a crime scene technician (forensic police) or a forensic pathologist. Recommendations have been published by the European Association for Forensic Entomology (EAFE), and many reference works provide sampling protocols. Some laboratories or equipment suppliers also distribute kits containing the necessary material along with a protocol. Below are some basic principles:

• Samples must be collected at the site where the body was discovered. All insects on or in the immediate vicinity of the body should be collected: larvae, worms, beetles, dead flies, etc. The goal is to obtain a representative sample. It is not necessary to capture flies flying around the corpse. Additional samples can be collected during the autopsy if needed.

• Remember to look for pupae (cocoons), which are generally located at some distance from the corpse. If the body is outdoors, collect soil around the body (1–2 meters away, a few centimeters deep). If indoors, check under objects in the room and in adjacent rooms.

• Place living insects in vials with small perforations (ensuring they cannot escape). Preserve half of the collected specimens by immersing them in a fixative solution (formalin or alcohol) or by freezing them. Label each vial with the date and time, and briefly describe its contents (e.g., “2 larvae” or “1 empty pupa”).

• Store samples in a cool environment as quickly as possible and submit them for analysis without delay (within a few days at most). Record the thermal history (e.g., “sampled on 25/07 at 16:00, refrigerated at 7 °C at 17:00, transported on 27/07 at 10:00”).• Any information not appearing in the body discovery report or the photographic documentation should be communicated to the forensic entomologist.

Cycle de développement des Diptères nécrophages. Forenseek - Police Scientifique - entomologie — Life cycle of necrophagous Diptera © Damien CHARABIDZE

Masse de larves de mouches calliphoridae en cours de développement sur un corps. Forenseek - Police Scientifique - entomologie — Life cycle of necrophagous Diptera © Damien CHARABIDZE

Estimating the age of larvae colonizing human remains

The fundamental principle of forensic entomology is to calculate the age of larvae or pupae in order to determine the timing of oviposition. Since necrophagous insects are involved, their presence indicates that the victim was already deceased at the time of colonization. For instance, if a body is discovered on May 28 and necrophagous insects aged 10 days are found on the remains, this means the victim had already been dead for 10 days prior to discovery, i.e., since May 18. This is referred to as the minimum postmortem interval.

To estimate larval age, it is necessary to identify the species and determine the temperature. The most widely used method is known as degree-days. To illustrate how it works, let us consider an example. Assume that the species collected from the body has a developmental threshold temperature, denoted Ts, of 10°C. This Ts value may be regarded as a fixed tax: only the degrees above this threshold contribute to larval development. At a constant temperature of 20°C, each day provides this species with 20°C – Ts = 10 degree-days for development. At 30°C, the larva accumulates 30 – Ts = 20 degree-days. The developmental target to reach is referred to as ADD (Accumulated Degree Days). In our example, let us suppose that 150 ADD are required for an egg of this species to reach the adult stage. At a constant temperature of 20°C, each day provides 10 degree-days, meaning that 15 days are needed to accumulate 150 ADD and obtain an adult fly. The same reasoning applies when temperature fluctuates: one day at 20°C followed by a day at 30°C provides 10 + 20 = 30 degree-days for the maggot.

This method has the advantage of being straightforward and applicable in both directions: one can observe a larva and determine when it will reach adulthood, or conversely start from the adult stage to reconstruct the duration of its larval development. This is precisely what is done in forensic investigations: the larvae found on the cadaver are identified, ambient temperatures are reconstructed, and from this the length of time the larvae have been developing on the remains is established, corresponding to the minimum postmortem interval.

How to estimate the colonization interval ?

Calculating the minimum postmortem interval is generally not sufficient. Returning to our previous example: in a case where a victim has been missing since December, stating that they had been dead for 10 days before the discovery of the body, i.e., since May 18, would not be of much practical use. The forensic entomologist’s task is therefore not only to determine the age of the larvae, but also to estimate the delay between death and the arrival of insects. When developing larvae of Calliphoridae flies are recovered, interpretation is relatively straightforward: under favorable conditions, these flies oviposit very shortly after death. The date of initial oviposition can thus be considered concomitant with the time of death.

By contrast, when colonization conditions are not optimal (adverse weather conditions, body located indoors) or in the case of so-called late-arriving species, it becomes more challenging, and sometimes impossible, to calculate the time elapsed between death and oviposition. In such situations, dating is therefore limited to establishing a minimum postmortem interval, sometimes supplemented with a qualitative estimate of the colonization delay.

Other contributions and limitations of forensic entomology

Beyond estimating the time of death, the study of the entomofauna associated with a corpse can shed light on events that occurred peri- or postmortem. The absence of a set of very common species on a body may indicate a temporary inaccessibility of the remains. This may result from confinement (e.g., sequestration of the body in a closed room), wrapping of the body, or unfavorable weather conditions. Conversely, it is often suggested that the presence of certain species could indicate the relocation of a body. This notion is largely unrealistic: the main necrophagous species are found throughout Central Europe and in almost all environments. It is therefore exceptional to encounter a species that serves as a specific geographic indicator. Two particular cases should nonetheless be mentioned: buried bodies, which are generally only minimally colonized, and submerged bodies, which are associated with a distinct fauna. Finally, necrophagous insects may sometimes colonize necrotic wounds in living individuals, a phenomenon referred to as myiasis. In such cases, larval analysis can provide information on the timing of the last medical care and help demonstrate potential neglect or abuse of a dependent person.

References :

Amendt J, Campobasso CP, Gaudry E, Reiter C, LeBlanc HN, Hall M. 2007 Best practice in forensic entomology—standards and guidelines. International Journal of Legal Medicine 121, 90–104.

Beauthier J-P. 2022 Traité de médecine légale et criminalistique. 3e édition. Louvain-la-Neuve: De Boeck Supérieur.

Byrd JH, Tomberlin JK, editors. 2019 Forensic Entomology: The Utility of Arthropods in Legal Investigations. 3rd edn. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Charabidze D. 2021 Ils peuplent les morts: approche entomologique médico-légale. Lyon: Fage éditions.

Charabidze D, Gosselin M, Collectif, Beauthier J-P. Insectes, Cadavres Scènes de Crime Principes et Applications de l’Entomologie Medico-Legale. Louvain-la-Neuve: De Boeck; 2014. 261 p.
Erzinçlioglu Z. Blowflies. Slough: The Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd; 1996. (Naturalist’s Handbooks; vol. 23).
Marchenko MI. Medicolegal relevance of cadaver entomofauna for the determination of the time of death. Forensic Science International. 15 août 2001;120(1–2):89‑109.
Smith KGV. 1986 A manual of forensic entomology. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural history).

Artificial intelligence: an anti-crime algorithm

18 July 2022Newsadmin

What if the police could know in advance where a crime was going to occur? This possibility is becoming real with a new artificial intelligence tool developed by a team of American researchers.

Washington, D.C., 2054: mutant humans foresee crimes and enable the arrest of future perpetrators thanks to their gift of precognition. Such is the premise of Minority Report, released in 2002, a film that constantly oscillates between utopia and the ultimate nightmare of a society under total control.

Chicago, 2022: Ishanu Chattopadhyay and his team of researchers have developed an algorithm capable of predicting, one week in advance, the level of criminal activity likely to emerge in a given area—with an accuracy rate of nearly 90%.

Artificial intelligence, a new prophet?

To achieve this astonishing level of precision, the urban area was first divided into 300-meter-wide grids. The researchers then trained their algorithm on crime data from the city covering the years 2014 to 2016. The system successfully forecasted the level of crime for the following weeks. These results were consistently replicated in the seven other major U.S. cities included in the study.

Given such results, the key question now is how this type of modeling should be used. While it could serve as a preventive tool to ensure the safety of people and property, could it not also become a relentless instrument of social control, particularly by targeting certain populations?

This is the main criticism raised in the United States, where a previous algorithm had already been tested by the Chicago Police Department. Designed to identify individuals most at risk of being involved in a shooting, it produced a list in which 56% of those flagged were African Americans between the ages of 20 and 29—creating, according to some, a genuine risk of racial discrimination.

Focus on places rather than suspects.

For researcher Ishanu Chattopadhyay, however, his algorithm presents a crucial difference: its predictions concern only geographic areas, not potential suspects. Its use could therefore contribute to the implementation of a genuine security policy in certain regions, going far beyond merely assisting police officers on the ground.

The studies conducted by this Chicago-based team further highlighted that arrest rates were higher in wealthier neighborhoods, indicating more intensive police activity. This, in turn, raises the question of whether another form of discrimination might be at play.

The black box tracks crime

6 July 2022Newsadmin

Installed in commercial aircraft since 1960, the black box made its debut on July 6, 2022, in newly manufactured vehicles across the European Union. While some perceive it as a veritable “spy device,” this system is above all a valuable source of information in cases of accidents, as well as in criminal or delinquent acts.

Driver drowsiness alerts, reverse detection systems, intelligent speed adaptation… In just a few years, cars have become technological jewels generally welcomed by drivers. The introduction of this so-called black box, however—reminiscent of the flight recorders in aircraft cockpits—has generated far less enthusiasm, with critics judging the device overly intrusive.

Recording limited to a few data points.

Such concerns are unfounded, as this equipment is not intended to monitor the every move of drivers and passengers during a trip. Unlike the recorders installed in aircraft, it does not capture any sound or conversation. Nor can the data be used to identify the individuals on board or to assess driving behavior—for example, by tracking the frequency of acceleration or braking.

Its purpose? Quite simply, to analyze what happened in the event of an accident. To that end, the device records purely objective data such as speed, collision force, accelerator or brake pressure, the activation of safety systems (ABS), and seat belt usage. The electronic chip responsible for recording these data stores only the 30 seconds prior to the accident and the 15 seconds following it.

Access strictly reserved for authorities

There is no question of sharing these data with insurance companies, as some users fear. Only judicial authorities or research institutes will be authorized to access them in order to clarify the circumstances of accidents that often have tragic consequences, as illustrated by a case that occurred on the Paris ring road.

On February 21, 2013, following a 150 km/h police chase, Malamine Traoré, then 22 years old, crashed his Range Rover SUV into a marked BAC police vehicle, instantly killing two police officers and seriously injuring a third.

Beyond his numerous prior convictions for traffic offenses, his lack of a driver’s license, and a blood alcohol level of 1.4 g/L, the analysis of the black box installed in the vehicle demonstrated that the driver never lifted his foot from the accelerator nor attempted any evasive maneuver, even though he consistently denied deliberately crashing into the police car. He was tried for “intentional violence against public officials resulting in death without intent to kill” and was sentenced on appeal to 15 years of criminal imprisonment.There is little doubt that in the future, these automotive data recorders, along with other material evidence related to vehicles, will contribute to solving numerous criminal and delinquent cases.

French gendarmes in Ukraine: their mission, victim identification

12 April 2022Newsadmin

Ukraine and numerous NGOs are building a case to bring Russia before the International Criminal Court for war crimes. On April 11, 2022, a team of 18 gendarmes from the Institut de Recherche Criminelle de la Gendarmerie Nationale (IRCGN, the French National Gendarmerie’s Forensic Science Institute) traveled to Ukraine to assist their counterparts in the difficult task of disaster victim identification. AFP interviewed Major General Patrick Touron, head of the National Gendarmerie’s Judicial Division.

The French gendarmes deployed to Ukraine on Monday have as their primary mission the identification of victims and the determination of their causes of death, explained Major General Patrick Touron, commander of the Gendarmerie’s Judicial Division, to AFP. “This team of eighteen gendarmes from the IRCGN is mainly composed of victim identification specialists, supported by two ballistics experts and an explosives specialist,” the general specified. Their mission has no fixed end date, although rotations have already been planned. “As of Tuesday, they will be in Kyiv, which for now is the location of their mission,” the general added.

The IRCGN is one of the few technical units in Europe capable of deploying to an operational theater within two hours.
Major General Patrick Touron

They will be “supervised by Ukrainian security forces” and will work alongside their Ukrainian counterparts. “The IRCGN is one of the few technical units in Europe capable of deploying within two hours to an operational theater, whether it be a theater of war (as in Mali, for example) or a natural disaster (such as the December 2004 tsunami),” General Touron emphasized. In addition to a mobile laboratory dedicated to DNA analysis, the team traveled with seven vehicles, including a truck carrying twelve refrigerated mortuary chambers to preserve autopsied bodies. The unit is fully autonomous, equipped with the means to generate its own electricity, among other logistical capacities.

We are there for the victims—to help families find their loved ones, to examine the bodies, and to determine the causes of death, – insisted the General, stressing that this was a joint effort between France and Ukraine.

Subsequently, he added, “an international structure will be established as other countries send teams on-site” to take part in the identifications and in the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the “war crimes” committed in Ukraine. On Sunday, Ukrainian judicial authorities reported that 1,222 people had been killed in the Kyiv region since the beginning of the invasion, without specifying whether they were all civilians. Images of twenty bodies in civilian clothing lying in a street in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, have circulated worldwide. Ukrainian authorities denounced this as a “war crime” committed by the Russian army, a charge immediately denied by Moscow. On Friday, President Emmanuel Macron declared that France was in the process of “gathering evidence” of “Russian war crimes” in Ukraine and announced the deployment of French gendarmes and magistrates to the country.