Forensic anthropological video-based cases at the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen: a 10-year retrospective review

Abstract

Abstract In criminal cases where there is a lack of evidence, the authorities sometimes ask our department to make a comparison of a criminal and suspect for possible identification or exclusion. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of 113 such cases analysed by the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark in 2006–2016. The aims of the analyses were to assist the authorities in identifying individuals, predominantly due to a suspicion of involvement in criminal activity. The videos comprised surveillance footage showing a criminal committing a criminal act. Based on comparisons of specific parameters, such as face, gait and general body proportions, conclusions were drawn on the plausibly of a suspect being the perpetrator of the crime in the video footage. This paper describes the most typical case: a comparison of one suspect with one criminal committing a robbery. In the majority of cases, the suspect could not be excluded from being the criminal based on the analysis of the video footage.