Recap question on the previous lesson

Define the terms serial murder and serial rape.

What are the shortcomings of the definition of the terms?

Discuss the outcomes of the research conducted by the SAPS and the
City University of New York.
THEME TWO: OBJECTIVES & PRINCIPLES OF INVESTIGATION
Dr. Nkosingiphile Mbhele
Criminology and Forensic Studies: 201
Lesson 2
 The SAPS response to serial murder
As a formal structure in the SAPS, the Investigative Psychology Unit was
created as a unit in 1997 with a mandate to assist in the investigation of
psychologically motivated crimes and later expanded to a Section (a
larger organisational structure) in 2011.
In its early days, the Unit was staffed only by members with a psychology
background, after a few years a detective joined the Unit. Since then,
detectives have been a permanent part of the Unit.
In 2009 the Unit was relocated to the Forensic Services Division where it
remains until today. The placement of the IPS in the National Head
Office structure was advantageous in that it provided the Unit with the
authority to intervene anywhere in the country.
 The SAPS response to serial murder
Between 1994 and 1997, the main focus was on serial murder investigation due to sharp
increase.
It later expanded to included a wide range of psychological motivated crimes-no external
motives.
Incl. serial murder, rape, sexual murder, muti murder, child sexual offenders, intimate
partner murders etc.
It offers advice to people seeking assistance with unusual cases that they have never seen
before.
The majority of the staff in the unit are detectives. In the early days there were only
members with psychology backgrounds, later joined members with research capacity and
criminologists.
IPS is one of the largest in the world, with 44 members providing services to offender
profiling, major case management and investigating psychologically motivated crimes.
 The Policy on the Investigation and Management of serial
rape and murder.
The SAPS is the only law enforcement agency to date to develop nationally applicable policy on investigation and
management of serial rape and serial murder.
This policy covers issues such as the roles and responsibilities of different structures of the SAPS in the investigation of
serial cases, nationally and provincially.
This includes responsibilities of the following structures:
1. Provincial Police Commissioner
2. Detective Service Division of National Head Office
3. Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offenses
4. Provincial Task Teams for Investigating Serial Murder
5. Investigative Psychological Section
6. Provincial Coordinators for Psychologically Motivated Crimes
7. Forensic DNA database Management Section
8. DNA Serial Team of the Forensic Science Laboratory
9. Crime Scene Management Units
10. Crime Intelligence Analysis Centres
 The Policy on the Investigation and Management of serial
rape and murder.
The policy further includes the following;
1. Identifying similar cases
2. Revisiting crime scenes
3. Crime scene and autopsy attendance
4. Forensic exhibit management
5. Cellphone investigations
6. Maintaining contact with living victims
7. Steps to be taken after arrest
8. Identifying parades
9. Prep for trials
10. sentencing
 The principles of investigation
The investigation is a science. Investigators should apply scientific methods,
up-to-date techniques, and logical reasoning during the investigation process.
The investigator must be familiar with the principles of investigation to ensure
that a scientific approach is adopted during an investigation.
The principles of investigation include identification, individualization, the
Locard exchange principle, examination, and the gathering of factual
information that answers questions or solves problems.
The purpose of identification in forensic investigation is to identify physical
evidence. The Locard exchange principle is known as the foundation on which
identification is based, while individualization can be seen as a more specific
and later facet of identification.
 Locard Edmond (1877-1966)
Trained in both law and medicine.
Established a forensic laboratory in Lyon, France.
He was interested in microscopy and trace evidence, he believed that
evidence such as dust, was crucial in linking people to places
Famous for developing the Locard exchange principle, “every contact
leaves a trace,” – transfer of materials
 The Locard Exchange Principle
The Locard exchange principle is the most significant and influential concept in the history
of forensic investigation. The hypothesis of the principle is that some form of evidence is
usually left behind when two objects or people come into contact with each other.
The principle is fundamentally applied to a scene of incident where the perpetrator comes
into contact with the scene.
It is impossible for an individual to act without leaving traces of their presence.
Modern day technology has presented scenarios in which perpetrators can be identified
without two objects or persons physically coming into contact with one another in order
to transfer ‘tracks’.
Cellphone signals can help identify the whereabouts of a perpetrator. A cellphone receives
and sends invisible radio signals. Investigators must learn how to how to identify invisible
clues of this nature.
 Identification
• It entails the act of identifying a person or object. Have to ensure that
an innocent person is not held liable for an incident they have not
committed and equally to ensure that the perpetrator is identified.
• In the context of forensic investigation, ‘identification’ is explained as
a classification systems when objects with similar characteristics are
classified into one category (class) and a name is given to each
category. Identification concerns the identification of something or
somebody as belonging to a specific category.
• Class characteristics are described as the features that place an item
in a specific category.
 Classification of identification
• Situation identification
• Witness identification
• Victim identification
• Imprint identification
• Origin identification
• Action identification
• Perpetrator identification
• Cumulative identification
 Types of identification
Direct identification
Refers to techniques to identify perpetrators, such as:
 Personal descriptions
 Sketches
 Identification parades
 Incidental identification
 Photo identification
 Voice identification
 Identification by means of CCTV
 Modus operandi
 Individualisation
The aim of individualisation is to individualise the incident as the act of
a particular person or persons.
Individualisation starts with identification, progresses to classification
and leads, if possible, to assigning a unique source to a given piece of
physical evidence.
It refers to the demonstration that a particular sample is unique even
among members of the same class.
The mere identification of an object does not have much evidential
merit unless it is positively linked to a specific individual.
 Differences between identification and
individualisation
The term individualisation should never be mistaken for identification.
In any forensic investigation, evidence must first be identified before
the investigation can continue. The investigator should identify
evidence by asking questions such as: Is this a disputed document? Is
this a blood stain?
Identification without individualisation has no evidential value; it
merely gives direction to the investigation of an incident, victim or
perpetrator.
Identification does not allow for comparison to be drawn. On the other
hand, individualisation involves comparison.
 Key readings
Labuschagne, G. (2001). An overview of serial murder and its
investigation in South Africa. In: Chan, H.C. & Adjorlolo, S. Eds. Crime,
mental health and the criminal justice system in South Africa. A Psycho-
Criminological Perspective. Switzerland: Springer Nature
Switzerland AG.
James, S.H., Nordby, J.J. and Bell. 2014. Forensic Science: An
Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques. New York:
Taylor & Francis.
Zinn, R. and Dintwe, S. 2015. Forensic Investigation. Cape Town. Juta
and Company (Pty).