11,June 2024
Forensic science is a mysterious and curiosity creating topic in today’s world. It is a new and emerging field of science and technology that plays an important role in delivering justice to the victims. Forensics is a complex field and it is not as simple as it seems in television and movies because the real world is completely different. But with advancements in technology, many myths and misconceptions are also associated with the field. Here in this blog, we will discuss some of the important myths and misconceptions related to forensic science.
The field of forensics is an amazing amalgamation of science with laws mainly criminal laws and investigation. It is the application of science and technology to investigate criminal activities and to serve justice to the victims. It helps in the identification of criminals, collection of evidence, and solving the crimes. The use of forensics in the crime investigation field is not a new one and has been in use for centuries. Forensic science can be used in several ways like fingerprint examination, ballistics analysis, DNA analysis, and computer forensics. Such experts get to work in police departments, laboratories, crime branches, etc.
There are so many myths and misconceptions associated with the field of forensic science. There are so many rumors spread in the market regarding this field, however, here we have mentioned some of the major misconceptions about forensics below:
One of the myths associated with forensic science is that this field is able to solve crimes within hours. But this is not true however this perception has been created in the minds of people because of the media. It is because the media showcases a completely wrong view of what forensics looks like. In the real world, crime investigations can be time consuming and require proper analysis, collection, and examination of the evidence collected from the crime scene.
Forensic evidence plays a crucial role in criminal investigations and acts as a powerful tool in crime mystery solving. It is being assumed by a lot of people that evidence that is collected from the crime scene is definitive in nature. But it is not true, the evidence collection and examination can be subject to human error based on interpretation. Some of the factors that can impact the reliability of forensic evidence can be contamination of the crime scene, tampering with evidence, and improper handling of evidence collected from the scene.
The world of entertainment often shows that forensic experts have a glamorous life and they just visit the crime scene and woahh!! the case is solved. But it is not true at all these are scientists and not magicians who can handle the crimes single handedly. Forensic experts work in multidisciplinary domains and collaborate with law enforcement agencies, and legal professionals to reconstruct the crime scene and analyze the evidence collected from the crime scene. It is meticulous work and involves hours of rigorous efforts in crime investigation.
Another widely spread misconception or we can say associated with forensic science is that all the evidence that is collected and examined by forensic scientists are admissible in the court of law. But this is not right, in reality, whether evidence will be admissible in the court or not will depend on the legal standards and scrutiny by the law enforcement agencies. Factors that impact their admissibility are the reliability of evidence, qualification of forensic experts, etc.
Another misconception is that all the experts who are working in the field of forensics work only in the legal domain. But in reality, only 15% of total forensic experts work in the government sector. While majority of such scientists work in private sector organizations like private colleges, laboratories, etc.
When someone hears the word forensic science, most of them only think of one thing which is crime mystery solving. Because of its relevance in the field of crime investigation, it has created a perception view for all that this field is used only for solving crime. But this is not true because forensics can be used for several purposes like identification of human remains, determination of the reason behind someone’s death, and verification of documents submitted by the victim or any other party in the court of law.
The findings based on the science of forensics are not always 100% accurate and hence we can’t say it is a fully proven technique for crime investigation. It is because the interpretations are made on the basis of estimation and interpretation of the crime scene and evidence and not on the facts. And we know one thing the evidence and the scene both can be hampered with and can be tempered.
It is a pre-conceived notion by most of the people that these people act as one man army and most of the people believe that they work all alone in the labs. But it is not always right and in most cases, they work in close collaboration with the law enforcement officials and thus help in solving the cases.
While most forensic scientists are degree holders this is not a mandatory requirement for doing this job. Candidates who don’t have a degree in the field of forensics can still work as forensic experts by acquiring a diploma or a certificate in the respective course.
Mostly people assume that such experts work only in the laboratories but it is not true and they also work in the field. From the collection of evidence to their examination in the forensic laboratories every task is done by such experts. Apart from this, they also work in offices and do the work of reviewing the evidence, and writing reports based on the findings of the case. While some of the scientists also work in hospitals and morgues and conduct autopsies as well.
People assume that being a forensic scientist these people are not required to meet work and don’t require people interaction. But again that is not the truth, these scientists work as a team with other scientists, detectives, investigators, attorneys, etc. Apart from this, they also testify in a court of law and conduct cross-examinations as well.
It is shown in many fictional stories and films that the investigators are able to trace the offender only on the basis of finding a single piece of evidence. Only one piece of evidence is enough to deliver justice to the victim and the court will deliver justice based on that evidence only. But it’s not right, these scientists often dig into the investigation and collect sufficient evidence from the site for proper examination so that so innocent is harmed.
This thing is also taken into consideration because of the environmental factors that impact the evidence when they are exposed to environmental factors like weather, etc.
Though most of such experts get to work in the laboratories in a safe and secure environment they need to visit outdoor locations as well. Even some of the evidence and crime scenes involve exposure to diseases or hazardous chemicals as well. There might be the presence of some bugs as well at the location that can cause infection to these scientists.
It is a pre-conceived notion that these experts are able to solve all the cases that they come across while in reality, they need to give their hundred percent to the case. Instead of giving due attention to each case, there are cases when mysteries are not solved and the case ends with a dead end.
Forensic science is indeed a fascinating and invaluable field that acts as an important investigation tool in the pursuit of justice. But it is essential for us to separate fact from fiction because as we say “All that glitters is not gold” Everything we see on television regarding the field of forensics is not right. When it comes to understanding the capabilities and limitations of forensic science we should have a deep understanding of it.
It is essential for us to debunk common myths and misconceptions associated with forensic science so that we can foster its role in the investigation. It is important to get a more informed understanding of this field and the role it plays in the criminal justice system. Therefore, it is important that we understand the myths and misconceptions about forensic science and stay away from them.