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Journal Article

Citation

Casey DG, Domijan K, MacNeill S, Rizet D, O'Connell D, Ryan J. J. Forensic Sci. 2016; 62(3): 585-592.

Affiliation

Department of Justice and Equality, Forensic Science Ireland, Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.13325

PMID

28008604

Abstract

The persistence of sperm using confirmatory microscopic analysis, the persistence of sperm with tails, time since intercourse (TSI) analysis, and results from the acid phosphatase (AP) reaction from approximately 5581 swabs taken from circa 1450 sexual assault cases are presented. The observed proportions of sperm in the vagina and anus declines significantly after 48 h TSI, and sperm on oral swabs were observed up to 15 h TSI. The AP reaction as a predictor of sperm on intimate swabs is questioned. All AP reaction times gave a low true positive rate; 23% of sperm-positive swabs gave a negative AP reaction time. We show the AP reaction is an unsafe and an unreliable predictor of sperm on intimate swabs. We propose that TSI not AP informs precase assessment and the evaluative approach for sexual assault cases. To help inform an evaluative approach, TSI guidelines are presented.

© 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.


Language: en

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