IDENTIFICATION BY SCARS, TATOO MARKS, FINGER PRINT, FOOT PRINTS , SHOE PRINTS, LIP PRINTS ETC.

DR. ARIF MASOOD
PRINCIPAL& PROFESSOR
ANANYA COLLEG OF HOMOEOPATHY,
KALOL , GANDHINAGAR

IDENTIFICATION BY SCARS
Scars
A scar is a fibrous tissue produced as a result of
healing of wound and it is covered by epithelium devoid
of hair follicles, sweat glands or pigment
Features
• Scars are permanent.
• Damage to epidermis does not produce scar. Injury to
dermis is necessary to form a scar.
• Scars usually assumes the shape of wound causing
them

1. Scar resulting from incised wound would be linear
2. Lacerated wound produces broad and irregular scar.
3. If healing of wound were by secondary intention, the
resultant scar would be wider and thicker in the
center than periphery.
4. Scars from scalds are spotted in appearance and
appears running downwards.
5. Stab wound produces oval, elliptical or triangular scar
depending on the shape of weapon.

1. Scar resulting from incised
wound would be linear

6. Scars due to burns or corrosive chemicals are irregular
and coarse scars,
7. Vaccination scars are circular, oval, fl at or slightly
elevated (Fig. 3.37).
8. Diseases such as small pox may cause multiple scars.
9. Scar from bullet wounds would be circular and
depressed one.
10. Striae gravidarum scars are multiple and usually over
abdomen in females who are pregnant or who were
pregnant (Fig. 3.38).
11. Drug addicts may have scar marks at cubital fossa due
to repeated injections

. If healing of wound were by secondary intention, the
resultant scar would be wider and thicker in the center
than periphery

Vaccination scars are circular, oval,
flat or slightly elevated

Appearance of Scars
• Time required for formation of scar depends on the
nature of injury, size and site of wound over body and
presence of absence of infection.
• Roughly a clean wound (healing by fi rst intention) heals
in 5 to 6 days and a defi nite reddish scar will be apparent
in less than two weeks.
• If scar is large and edges cannot be approximated or
infection is present the granulation tissue forms within
few days and scar appears within 2 weeks to 3 months

Growth of Scar
Scars produced in childhood will grow in size with the
development of the person, especially if the scars are located
on chest or limbs.
Age of scar
• When fi rst formed, the scar is red, tender and covered
by scab (< 2 weeks).
• Then it becomes denser and brown (2 week - 2 month).
• Then it becomes whit and glistening, tough and may be
wrinkled (2-3 month).
• After this no further change occurs and it becomes diffi
cult to date the scar

Scar erasure
Scars cannot be erased or removed completely however,
the
size and shape can be altered by operative procedure such
as excision and skin grafting.
Recording scars for identifi cation
• While recording scars for identifi cation, the number of
scars, shape, size and situation over body should be
recorded. Whether the scar is fi xed or mobile, the
consistency
of scar and colour of overlying skin should be noted.
• Faint scars can be made visible by fi ltered ultraviolet
light or by magnifying lens

Medicolegal importance of scar
1) Important for identifi cation.
2) Indicate type of weapon used for causing injury.
3) Age of scar can be determined.
4) Type of injury can be commented for example lacerated
wound, stab wound etc.
5) Striae gravidarum indicate present or past pregnancy.
6) Scars causing following injuries amounts to grievous hurt
(section 320 of IPC):
A. Permanent disfiguration of face
B. Causing contracture and/or joint restriction or hamper
function of joint
C. Over cornea causing permanent total or partial loss
of vision.

IDENTIFICATION BY TATOO MARK
Defination
Tattoo marks are designs effected by multiple small
puncture wounds made through the skin with needles
or similar penetrating tools dipped in colouring
material.
Dye Used
. The technique and dye varies from country to
country

IDENTIFICATION BY TATOO MARKS
Features
• The permanency of tattoo marks depends on the depth
of deposition of dye and the type of dye used.
• If the pigments of dye are deposited below the epidermis,
the tattoo marks stay longer. The type of pigment
used affect the duration of tattoo marks. Dyes such as
vermilion or ultramarine disappear earlier than India ink.
• The situation of tattoo marks over body is also important.
Parts protected by clothes retain dye for longer period
than exposed parts. For example, tattoos on hands or forearm
disappear early due to exposure and constant friction.
• Tattoo marks may present on any part of the body however,
commonly they are found on arm or forearms.
• Usually the tattoo marks are distinct up to 10 years

Revealing Latent Tattoo Marks
Latent tattoo marks are faded marks and they can be visualized
by:
1) Use of ultraviolet light.
2) Infrared photography.
3) Rubbing the part and examining under magnifying glass.
4) If tattoo marks are obscured by decomposition, they can be
visualized46 by treating the area w ith three percent H2O2.
5) Tattoo marks can also be developed by treating the skin
with 0.5% caustic potash

 Complications
 Following are the complications, which may develop by tattooing.
 1) Infection:
  Septic infl ammation
  Abscess
  Spread of infectious disease such as AIDS
 2) Scar or keloid may be formed.
 Erasure or Artifi cial Removal of Tattoo Mark:
 There are various methods to erase the tattoo mark and they are:
 1) Surgical method:
  Complete excision of tattoo mark followed by skin
 grafting
  Application of carbon dioxide snow
 2) Electrolysis: By utilizing 2-5 milliampeare of current
 with needle to remove mark.
 3) Laser beams: Particles of dye get vaporized

Medicolegal Importance:
1) Identifi cation of person (Fig. 3.39).
2) Religion can be known from the pattern or design of
tattoo mark (Fig. 3.40).
3) Country can be known.
4) God of worship can be known.
5) Social status can be known.
6) Mental makeup of person can be known (Fig. 3.41).
7) Language of the person can be known (Figs 3.42 and
3.43)

IDENTIFICATION BY
OCCUPATIONAL MARKS
These marks offer help in identifi cation as certain occupation
or trade may leave marks. These marks may be temporary or
permanent.
1) Temporary marks: Paints, dyes or chemical or grease etc. at
fingertips in case of painters, dyers, engineers or mechanic
respectively. Microscopic examination of the dust or debris
under nail beds or in clothes or in earwax may also aid in
identifi cation.
2) Permanent: Heavy and rough hands are seen in manual
labourer. Tailors may have needle puncture marks on their left
index fingers. Thickening of palmer skin of fingers is seen on
hands of butcher. Certain occupation may impart colour
changes to hairs for example copper smelters have greenish
hair, indigo and cobalt miners have bluish hairs.

IDENTIFICATION BY FINGER PRINTS
Fingerprint System
Synonyms: Also known as Dactylography or
dermatoglyphics
or Galton system of identification.
Definition: Fingerprints are impressions of pattern formed
by the papillary or epidermal ridges of the fingertips.
Principle: It is based on principle that the individual
peculiarities
of the patterns formed by the arrangement of the
papillary or epidermal ridges on the fi ngertips are absolutely
constant and persists throughout life from infancy
to old age and that the patterns of no two hands resemble
each other

Features
• Identification by this system is absolute.
• Fingerprints are highly individualistic even in monozygotic
Twins Fingerprints are formed during intra-uterine life. The
epidermal
ridges are regularly spaced small down-growths of epidermal cells,
which appear in fi nger and toe pads during the second and third
months. They are known as primary epidermal ridges separated by
corresponding dermal ridges. Secondary ridges develop by fifth month
• It has been estimated that the chances of two persons
having identical fingerprints is about one in sixty four
thousand millions. The fingerprints follow Quetelet’s
rule, “all nature made things have unlimited and infinite
variations of forms

Classification of Finger prints
Fingerprints are classified into four types
1. Loop
2. Arch
3. Whorl
4. Composite

 Classification of Finger prints
 They are further sub-classified as :
 1. Loop:
  Ulnar loop-loop opens on ulnar side
  Radial loop-loop opens on radial side
 2. Whorl:
  Concentric
  Spiral–clockwise
  Spiral – anticlockwise
  Double spiral
  Almond shape
 3. Arch:
  Plain
  Tented
  Exceptional
 4. Composite:
  Central pocket loop
  Twined loop
  Accidental.

Classification of Finger prints

Recording of Fingerprints
The fingerprints are taken over unglazed white paper
using printer’s ink. Before taking prints, hands are
washed and dried. The fingerprints are taken in two
ways
1) Plain impression or plain method.
2) Rolled impression or rolled method.

Recording of Fingerprints
1) Plain impression or plain method.
In this method, inked fi ngers are brought in contact
with unglazed paper and impressions are taken (Fig.
3.48).
• Advantage of plain method is that it is quicker and
easy to do. Disadvantage of this method is that larger
surface area is not obtained for comparison.

Rolled Method:
• In this method, the fingerprints are taken by rolling the
fingers on paper from outward to inward direction
without lifting fingers in such a way that an impression of
whole tip is obtained (Fig. 3.49).
 Advantage of this method is that it gives impression of
a large area than plain method. Disadvantage is that it is
somewhat difficult procedure and may blur the prints at
places.

Comparison of Fingerprints
The obtained fingerprints are compared with
reference print at the fingerprint bureau and about 16
to 20 points of similarities are matched. For the
purpose of matching, pattern of ridge, ridge ending,
missing ridge, counting of ridge, ridge breakage, fork
formation, delta, island etc. are
compared (Fig. 3.50).

Fingerprints at Scene of Crime
Fingerprints encountered at a scene of crime are
classified as:
1) Visible print
2) Plastic print
3) Latent print

1. Visible prints: These are the fingerprints left at scene when the
fi ngers are smeared with or contaminated with blood, paint,
oil, grease, dust, secretions etc. These prints are visible prints.
2. Plastic prints: These are the prints left over soft surface or
articles such as soap, wax, clay, cheese etc.
3. Latent prints:
• These prints are either invisible or barely visible that
were left at scene of crime.
• These impressions are left over surface or articles due
to sebaceous and sweat gland secretions.
• These prints have to be made visible by developing with
reagents.
• If such prints are obtained by chance, then they are called
as chance fingerprints prints at Scene of Crime

Mode of Fingerprint Production
The finger and fingertips of person is usually smeared by sebaceous
secretion and sweat. Whenever a person touches any article or
material, due to presence of sebaceous secretion, he leaves the
impression of fi ngers over that article or material. These impressions
can be visualized, developed and lifted by fingerprint experts.
Fingerprints in Dead Bodies
• Fingerprints are present over dermis and epidermis.
If the skin is degloved as in advance decomposition, the skin should
be removed, preserved in formalin and impressions can be taken from
that degloved skin. If the degloved skin is lost, still prints can be taken
from dermis.
• In mummifi ed bodies, the fi ngers are dry and shriveled and
therefore prints are not possible. In such condition, the fi ngertips or
skin is immersed in weak alkali solution to make them swell-up and
then prints are taken

 Mutilation or Alteration of Fingerprints
 • Criminals may at times, tries to hide the identity by destroying the fi
ngerprints by applying burns or corrosive agents. But the prints are not
destroyed unless the skin is destroyed completely.
• Ridge alteration occurs in eczema, acanthosis nigricans,scleroderma, dry and
atrophic skin.
• Permanent impairment of fi ngerprint pattern occurs in leprosy, electric injury,
and radiation injury.
• In derm-abrasion, identifi cation by fingerprints can be circumvented (evade).
• In coeliac disease, fingerprints may temporarily modify.
• Distance between ridges may change but pattern not change in rickets and
acromegaly.
 Fallacy of using fingerprint
If there is no reference available, even though fingerprints are available, they will
have no use

Advantages of fi ngerprints
1) Recognition of chance prints at scene of crime.
2) Absolute identification is possible.
3) Data can be stored and can be transferred telegraphically.
4) Can be obtained from decomposed bodies.
Medicolegal importance
1) Absolute method of identifi cation.
2) Identification in case of exchange of new born babies.
3) Identification in case of impersonation.
4) Used in lieu of signature.
5) To maintain identity records.
6) Identification of criminals, weapons etc

Poroscopy
• Edmund Locard developed this method of identification.
Poroscopy means study of pores present on ridges of fingers and hand It is
noted that ridges on fingers and hand have microscopic pores through
which sweat exudes (secrete)These pores are opening of the ducts of
sweat glands located in sub-epidermal region.
• It is seen that each millimeter of a ridge contains 9 to 18 pores.
• These pores are permanent and unchanged during life of a person
• These pores vary in size, shape, position, extent and number over a
given length of ridge in each person.
• This method is reliable as fingerprints and useful for positive
identification
• This method is particularly useful when only fragment of fingerprint or
partial fingerprints are available

Poroscopy

IDENTIFICATION BY FOOT PRINTS
Footprints
These are the foot patterns left by person at the scene of
crime. They are of two types:
1. Bare footprint: These are prints left by barefoot
2. Shoe prints: These are prints left with shoe or
chappal(footwear) worn by person.
• These prints are also individualistic like fi ngerprints.
• Footprints produced while walking is usually larger than
that produced while a person is standing.
• Footprints can be recorded by photography or by making
plaster cast

IDENTIFICATION BY FOOT PRINTS
Bare footprints
• Bare footprint of a suspected person can be compared
with the reference print and peculiarities such as ridge
pattern, flat foot, supernumerary toes, scars,
callositiesetc. found are compared.
• Latent footprints are also developed in a same way as
fingerprints
• If there is absence of ridge pattern, the measurements
such as length and width of foot, length and width of
toe, toe pad, angle of declination from each toe and
from ball to its juncture with the arch help in
identification

IDENTIFICATION BY SHOE PRINTS
Shoe Prints
Shoe prints are also helpful in identifi cation. In case of shoe
prints, there are two type of markings51
Primary markings: These refer to markings about the make
of shoes or soles of shoe (Fig. 3.53).
Secondary markings: These are the markings that are
imparted over sole of shoe by the user and these markings
are individualistic (Fig. 3.53).
Features
1) Helps in identifi cation.
2) Stature can be estimated from footprints – stature of the
individual constitutes 15 percent ratio of foot length.
Thus, Stature = Maximum foot length ÷ 0.15
3) Weight of person can also be estimated33

IDENTIFICATION BY LIP PRINTS
Lip Prints (Cheiloscopy)
Lip prints or Cheiloscopy is the study of furrows or
grooves present in the human lips. Suzuki classified
the lip prints and the classification is given in Table 3.38
(Fig. 3.54).
Features
• It is held that lip prints pattern are unique to individual
and help in identifi cation.
• The patterns remain unchanged over person’s lifetime.
However, twins’ children possessed similar lip patterns.
• Sex of a person can also be determined by lip prints

IDENTICATION BY PALATAL RUGAE
Palatal Rugae (Rugoscopy) 3-5
• Palatal rugae are the ridges on the anterior part of the
palatal mucosa on each side.
• Palatal rugae are unique to each individual and helps in
identification. The rugae patterns do not change with the
development of a person and reappears after trauma.
Males have better developed rugae in comparison with
females.
• Thomas and Kotze have classifi ed them and are mentioned
in Table 3.39.
• The shape of rugae may be curved, wavy, straight or
circular

IDENTICATION BY PALATAL RUGAE
Palatal Rugae (Rugoscopy)

IDENTIFICATION BY
SUPERIMPOSITION
Superimposition
This is a method of comparative identifi cation. In this
method, skull of a person is compared with the
photograph
of the deceased person by way of superimposition. Thus,
superimposition is a technique applied to determine
whether
the skull is that of a person in the said photograph or not.
Superimposition techniques fall into three categories:58
1. Photographic
2. Video-graphic
3. Computer aided

IDENTIFICATION BY
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPERIMPOSITION
Photographic Superimposition
Photographic superimposition technique was introduced by
Glaister & Brash (1937) for the identifi cation of questioned
skull from victim’s photograph. In this method the photograph
of person is taken and the negative is prepared of it.
The skull photograph’s negative fi lm is taken. The both
negatives
i.e. the skull and that of photograph are superimposed
by aligning and the photograph is developed. The resulting
superimposed photograph brings out the details revealing the
similarity or dissimilarity

IDENTIFICATION BY VIDEO GRAPHY
SUPERIMPOSITION
Video-Graphic Superimposition
In India, video-graphic superimposition technique
was first tried by Chandra Shekharan59 in 1988. In
this method the skull is mounted on support that
allows moving the skull in three directions. A
photograph to be tested is also mounted similarly.
Video cameras are placed to record the photograph
and skull separately on each side. The individual
video signals from each camera are fed into a vision
mixer

IDENTIFICATION BY COMPUTER AIDED
VIDEO GRAPHY SUPERIMPOSITION
Computer Aided Video Skull/Face
Superimposition
Delfi no et al in 1986 had introduced computer aided
superimposition
technique. This is new technique for personal
identification. In this method, facial photographs are taken
and a radiograph (X-ray) of the skull in question is taken.
The skull radiograph is then photographed. Both photographs
(i.e. the face and skull) are stored in computer database. The
photographic images of the faces and radiographs of the
skull are then drafted with common photographic software
such as Adobe photo Deluxe, Microsoft PhotoDraw

IDENTIFICATION BY SCARS, TATOO MARKS, FINGER PRINT, FOOT PRINTS , SHOE PRINTS, LIP PRINTS ETC.

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

La actualidad más candente

La actualidad más candente (20)

Similar a IDENTIFICATION BY SCARS, TATOO MARKS, FINGER PRINT, FOOT PRINTS , SHOE PRINTS, LIP PRINTS ETC.

Similar a IDENTIFICATION BY SCARS, TATOO MARKS, FINGER PRINT, FOOT PRINTS , SHOE PRINTS, LIP PRINTS ETC. (20)

Más de ARIF MASOOD

Más de ARIF MASOOD (7)

Último

Último (20)

IDENTIFICATION BY SCARS, TATOO MARKS, FINGER PRINT, FOOT PRINTS , SHOE PRINTS, LIP PRINTS ETC.