Transcript Tattoo Marks

IDENTIFICATION
Dr. AJEE KURUVILLA
IDENTIFICATION
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Identification in the living
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Identification of the dead
Civil cases
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Pension
Insurance
Inheritance
Marriage
Disputed sex
Employment
Voting
Missing persons
Criminal cases
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Absconding soldiers
Absconding criminal
Person accused of rape, murder,
assault
Intentional interchange of babies
Theft
Corpus delicti
body of offence- essence of crime
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Complete identification
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Partial identification
Points to be considered for
establishment of identity
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Race
Religion
Sex
Age
Congenital features
Acquired peculiarity
Miscellaneous
Race
A biological grouping within the
human species distinguished or
classified according to genetically
transmitted differences.
Clothes, complexion, hair, eyes, lips
Caucasoid, Negroid, Mongoloids
Caucasoid
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Europeans
Semitic (Arabs & Jews)
Indo- Aryan
Skin colour- very fair to brown
Hair- straight, wavy, blonde, brown,
black
Nose-generally long & narrow
Face- narrow- medium broad
Negroid
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Africa to the south of Sahara
Negrito people of India & S.E. Asia
Skin colour- black- brownish- yellowish
Hair- crinkly / frizzy, woolly, coarse
Noses- broad, flat
Face- narrow- medium broad
Stature- varies
Mongoloids
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Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, Thias,
Vietnamese, Malays, Eskimos, Red
Indians, American Indians of South
America
Eyes- characteristic fold of skin
Hair- lank & straight
Stature- short to medium
Indices
Cephalic index =
Max. transverse breadth of skull _____
Max. antero- posterior length of skull
x 100
70 – 75: Dolicocephalic / long head (Negroes, Pure Aryans)
75 – 80: Mesaticephalic / medium head (Europeans, Chinese)
80 – 85: Brachycephalic / short head (Mongolians)
Religion
Stature
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2 x (length of upper limb)+ 30 + 4cms
2 x (length from vertex to symphysis pubis)
2 x (length from symphysis pubis to either
heel)
3.3 x (length from sternal notch to
symphysis pubis)
7 x (height of head)
8 x (length of skull)
19/ 5 x (length of forearm)
Stature
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From skeletal remains, with the help of
regression formula using long bones
From fragmented bones- Steele
Hair
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Is it hair or not?
Human hair / animal hair ?
If humansex ?
Age ?
From which part of the body?
Individualisation- DNA typing, ABO, trace
elements, disease, dyes, henna
Medico Legal Importance
Resists putrefaction for long
1. One of the following indices is helpful in
determining the race of an unidentified
skull.
a) Cephalic index.
b) Cranial index.
c) Cerebral index.
d) Cortical index.
2. One of the following is useful in
determining the stature from fragmented
long bones.
a) Karl Pearson’s formula
b) Trotter and Gleser’s formula
c) Dupertuis and Hadden’s formula
d) Steele’s formula
3. Cephalic index is derived by using one of
the following formula .
a) Length of skull / Breadth of skull x 100
b) Breadth of skull / Length of skull x 100
c) Height of skull / Length of skull x 100
d) Length of skull/ Height of skull x 100
4. The “medullary index” of human hair is
a) Less than 0.3.
b) More than 0.3.
c) Less than 0.5.
d) More than 0.5.
5. The “medullary index” of animal hair is
a) Less than 0.3.
b) More than 0.3.
c) Less than 0.5.
d) More than 0.5.
7. Identification of a living person may arise in :
a) Civil cases.
b) Criminal cases
c) Both A & B
Tattoo marks
Tattoo marks are designs made by multiple
small puncture wounds made through the
skin with needles or similar penetrating tools
dipped in colouring agents ( dye )
Derived from Polynesian “Ta Tau” = to mark
Commonly used dyes: indigo, cobalt, finely divided
carbon, china ink, cinnabar, vermillion, prussian blue
, etc.
 Optimum depth of penetration: superficial layers of
dermis.
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Permanency of tattoo marks: depends on type of
dye used, its depth of penetration & part of body
tattooed.
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Latent tattoo marks:
Visible by using UV light, by rubbing the part, by examining
with magnifying glass in strong light
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Natural disappearance of tattoo marks:
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Vermillion, cinnabar – disappear after min of 10 years.
Black pigments ( Indian ink ) – permanent
Artificial removal of tattoo marks:
Surgical removal & skin grafting, electrolysis; applying
Carbon dioxide snow; dermal abrasion; laser; caustic
substances
Forensic importance of
tattoo marks
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Identity:
Race, religion, nationality, occupation, name of person or his
beloved ones, date of birth / marriage, etc.
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Mental make up / desire: obscene figures
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Infection & keloid formation.
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Drug addicts (concealing site)
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Homosexuals (blue bird on back or web of thumb)
Photo & Video
Superimposition
Photo superimposition
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Photographs of the skull are taken.
Transparencies of skull photograph & that of
life-time photograph are focused on the
same sensitive printing paper.
After maximum alignment, a positive print
will be taken.
Attempt is made to study the matching /
non-matching of major anatomical
landmarks.
Video superimposition
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2 video images (one of photograph &
other of skull) are mixed on one video
display unit.
Negative matching – Skull is not that of the person in the photograph
Positive matching – Skull could be that of the person in the photograph
Facial reconstruction
using clay
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These methods use modeling clay or
plasticine to build up the depth of
tissue on the skull to that of a living
individual.
Shape of the eyes, nose and mouth
cannot be confidently predicted and
are largely guesswork.
Tissue depth markers
Anatomical structures, which define the
outer surface of the face are pasted onto
the skull
Temporalis, zygomaticus & masseter muscles, orbicularis
oris, parotid gland, buccal fatty pad, fat pad of chin.
Adding clay using the tissue depth
marker guidelines
Finishing touches are applied and
tissue depth markers are covered
Painting, replacing polyfiber
scalp hair & eyebrows
TERIMA KASIH