Problems of Forensic Sciences 2004 Vol. 60 (LX) 58-77
COMPARATIVE POPULATION STUDIES OF FIBRES SECURED IN POLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC AND GERMANY
Jolanta WĄS-GUBAŁA
Institute of Forensic Research, Cracow
Streszczenie
One of the basic factors influencing the evidence value of a criminalistic trace is the frequency of its occurrence (prevalence) in the human environment. The aim of the conducted research was to assess the frequency of occurrence of certain categories of fibres in three neighbouring countries of Europe: Poland, Czech Republic and Germany. Comparative material was collected from the seats of public transport in Cracow, Prague and Stuttgart. Identification examinations of over 3500 secured fibres were conducted in order to classify them into one out of eight colour categories (blue, green, grey/black, red, violet, yellow, orange, brown) and nine categories of types (cotton, wool, silk, other natural, viscose, polyester, polyamide, acrylic, other artificial). Analyses showed that the importance of grey/black and blue cotton fibres as criminalistic traces is very slight, whereas that of orange polyamide, purple polyester, yellow and green viscose – is particularly high. The results obtained in the present experiment have some similarities with results of population research conducted earlier in Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Therefore databases with information on frequency of occurrence of certain categories of fibres in various countries might be used in the future for creation of more general databases, e.g. pan-European ones.
Słowa kluczowe
Fibre; Classification; Population research.