Face reality - consider face touching behaviour on subsequent DNA analysis

Monique Zacher, Roland A. H. van Oorschot, Oliva Handt, Mariya Goray

Research output: Contribution to journalMeeting Abstractpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Face touching is a common habit that can have implications on the outcome of criminal investigations. When conducting activity level assessments, it is important to be aware of any factors that may impact the type of profile obtained from the sample of interest. This may include the number, duration, location, and manner of contacts that a person makes with themselves. In this study we have recorded the contacts made by different individuals, of their hands with their face, over a 1 hr period, while working within an office. All participants were observed to regularly touch their face. Swabs of the face of some participants were subsequently collected for DNA profiling. The individuals sampled were found to be the sole or majority contributor to the profiles generated.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)58-61
Number of pages4
JournalAustralian Journal of Forensic Sciences
Volume56
Issue numberSupplement 1
Early online date28 Apr 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Event23rd Triennial Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Science: in conjunction with the 26th Symposium of the Australian & New Zealand Forensic Science Society - Sydney International Convention Centre, Sydney, Australia
Duration: 20 Nov 202324 Nov 2023
Conference number: 23
https://iafs2023.com.au/

Keywords

  • Face touching
  • DNA transfer
  • DNA prevalence

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