Abstract
Forensic science aspires to a single epistemic standard, yet the courtrooms that receive its conclusions do not. Practitioners working between adversarial and inquisitorial systems quickly discover that the same analytical result can be reported, contested, weighted, and remembered in very different ways depending on where the case is tried. This plenary examines the gap between what forensic scientists can defensibly conclude and what different legal traditions actually ask them to communicate, with attention to the evaluative reporting framework promoted by ENFSI, the recommendations issued by the US PCAST report and subsequent OSAC standards work, and the practical reality faced by smaller laboratories and by parties without the resources to commission competing expert opinions.
Drawing on experience spanning North American and European forensic ecosystems, the talk offers a comparative view of categorical versus likelihood ratio reporting, the assumptions each makes about the trier of fact, and the consequences for fairness when those assumptions are not met. Concrete examples are taken from questioned document examination and trace evidence analysis, but the structural lessons generalise across forensic disciplines. The session closes with practical guidance for practitioners writing reports likely to travel between jurisdictions, and for members of the judicial process tasked with reading them. The underlying argument is that clear, calibrated evaluative reporting is not only a methodological commitment but an accessibility one, because the party most affected by ambiguous expert language is usually the one with the fewest resources to challenge it.
Biography
Dr. Carrie Polston is Maître Assistante in forensic science at the Université de Lausanne, a position she has held since June 2022. She holds a PhD in Forensic Science from Sam Houston State University and a BA in Biology from Truman State University. She is a member of the NIST-OSAC QD subcommittee and chairs the Examination of Inks Task Group and is a member of the ENFSI European Document Experts Working Group, contributing to forensic standards development on both sides of the Atlantic. Her technical work spans FTIR, Raman, XRF, MSP, GC-MS, MALDI, and magneto-optical instrumentation, combined with chemometric methods, and she was awarded the FSF Emerging Forensic Scientist Award in 2019. A central focus of her current position at Lausanne is shortening the distance between forensic research and routine practice through workshops, webinars, and direct outreach to practitioners and members of the judicial process.
Abstract
Quality Assurance is a crucial component of forensic science laboratories. A strong Quality Assurance program provides consistency, oversight, and accountability. Quality Assurance professionals work diligently to create frameworks that identify risks and opportunities while ensuring laboratories comply with all accreditation requirements.
The Association of Forensic Quality Assurance Managers (AFQAM) has partnered with the National Forensic Science Academy (NFSA) to develop a certification course and examination. The AFQAM Ad Hoc Committee is currently developing the content for this certification program. I would like to provide an overview of the Quality Assurance certification training program and examination so that attendees can help spread the word within the forensic community.
Biography
Lisa Glazer graduated from the University of New Haven in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science and a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. She became certified in Seized Drug Analysis by the American Board of Criminalistics in 2025. Lisa has worked as a drug analyst for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 19 years in two different laboratories and has testified in numerous courts throughout the Commonwealth. She is currently the Forensic Chemist/Quality Lead at the UMass Chan Medical School Drugs of Abuse Laboratory, where she is responsible for the laboratory’s quality management system. Lisa is a member of the Association for Forensic Quality Assurance Managers (AFQAM) and is currently serving on a committee developing a certification for Forensic Quality Professionals.
Abstract
The widespread adoption of hardened encrypted communication platforms has significantly increased the complexity of modern transnational criminal investigations. Operations targeting services such as EncroChat, SkyECC and ANOM have demonstrated how organized crime networks rely on customized secure devices and protected infrastructures to coordinate illicit activities across jurisdictions while attempting to reduce digital traceability. These developments have transformed digital evidence acquisition into a cross-border challenge requiring large-scale data collection, coordinated law enforcement cooperation, and advanced forensic methodologies.
This presentation examines the investigative implications of analysing datasets originating from disrupted encrypted ecosystems. Particular attention is given to the issue of defence access to original or raw data. Defence teams have been provided primarily with filtered or pre-processed datasets, often resulting from complex decryption, extraction and analytical workflows conducted during large-scale law enforcement operations.
By discussing methodological, technical and legal considerations, the session highlights how forensic practitioners and investigators can address challenges related to evidence validation, disclosure obligations, and fair trial guarantees in cross-border cases involving encrypted criminal communication platforms.
Biography
Digital Forensic Consultant and Cybersecurity Expert supporting Law Enforcement, Judicial Authorities, and legal teams in the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of digital evidence. He contributes to complex cross-border investigations, including cases involving encrypted platforms such as SkyECC. Programme Leader for the Master’s in Cyber Security, Digital Forensics & Crime Analysis at the European Forensic Institute (Malta) and Lecturer at the University of Perugia (Italy).
Abstract
Background: Child maltreatment represents a critical yet underreported public health emergency across low-resource settings, with profound developmental, psychological, and physical sequelae. In Algeria's southern regions, epidemiological data regarding pediatric violence remain particularly sparse despite progressive legal frameworks. This investigation sought to delineate the prevalence patterns, perpetrator dynamics, and psychological impact determinants among children evaluated within a forensic medicine framework in Laghouat.
Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical investigation was conducted over four months (2024–2025) at Hmida Ben Adjila Hospital in Laghouat. The study population comprised children presenting for violence-related forensic consultations. Comprehensive data acquisition included victim demographics, perpetrator profiles, contextual incident characteristics, and psychological sequelae. The Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS-5) served as the standardized psychometric instrument. Multivariate logistic regression modeling identified significant predictors of elevated psychological distress probability.
Results: Among 596 total consultations, 84 cases involved pediatric interpersonal violence. Domestic environments constituted the predominant locus of aggression, with paternal and step-paternal figures identified as primary perpetrators. Nearly half the cohort (47%) exhibited moderate-to-severe psychological symptomatology. Multivariate analysis revealed three independent risk factors for heightened traumatic distress: direct exposure to interparental violence, younger developmental age, and recurrent victimization episodes.
Conclusion: These findings illuminate the urgent imperative for systematic pediatric violence surveillance within clinical and forensic infrastructures, particularly in geographically underserved territories. Developmentally-sensitive, multi-sectoral intervention strategies are essential to safeguard vulnerable children and mitigate long-term trauma burden. Forensic medicine emerges as a critical nexus integrating medical assessment, psychological support, and judicial advocacy for young victims.
Biography
Abstract
This lecture explores the unacknowledged role of forensic industrialisation as the primary catalyst for the 20th and 21st-century "Great Crime Drop." While criminological theory—most notably Problem-Oriented Policing (POP), Situational Crime Prevention, and Hotspot analysis—focuses heavily on environmental variables and physical security, it has largely ignored the profound impact of the forensic-technical revolution.
We define the "Industrialisation of Forensics" as the synergistic convergence of three distinct technological leaps: the computerisation of national biometric databases (NAFIS/NDNAD), the deployment of automated sequential treatment laboratories, and the advent of high-resolution digital imaging. These systems transformed forensic science from a reactive, case-specific tool into a high-throughput, proactive intelligence stream (FORINT).
Biography
Professor and Dean of Applied Sciences European Forensic Institute. Between 1969 and 2008, he had a full career as a practitioner with the Directorate of Forensic Services New Scotland Yard, in the roles of Fingerprint expert, Crime scene Investigator, Crime Scene manager and Crime Scene Coordinator. In project management he created modern sequential treatment laboratories designed to deal with the volume crime in London and pioneered the concept of Forensic Intelligence. He set up one of the world’s first Forensic Intelligence Units in 2001 and was the Head of Forensic Intelligence Metropolitan Police until 2008. He has the Kings College London University Diploma in Crime Scene Investigation and Fingerprint Expertise. He developed the wireless, three electrode, method of electrostatic dust mark lifting, the Pathfinder’ now used worldwide. In 2012 he published the textbook ‘Forensic Intelligence’ CRC Press. In 2018 he joined the European Forensic Institute as a lecturer and was invited to lecture on Forensic Intelligence at the Istituto Di Scienze Forense, Corporate University, Milan. In 2021 he was awarded a Professorship in Criminology, Forensic Criminology and Forensic Intelligence and awarded the role of President of the Istituto Di Scienze Forense University Milan. In February 2024 the university renewed his professorship. He has been a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (CSFS) since 1983, and in October 2024 was elected as the Honorary Editor of the CSFS.
Abstract
Forensic podiatry is a novel sub-field of Forensic Science in Nigeria that combines anatomical, biomechanical and pathological knowledge for the analysis of footprints. Forensic podiatrists assess congenital and accidental foot anomalies for the purpose of human identification. The emerging intersection between forensic podiatry and artificial intelligence from the perspective of a Nigerian forensic anthropologist, highlights both regional trends and inherent pitfalls. In Nigeria, where mass disasters, clandestine graves, and decomposed remains are common, foot-based identification—such as analyzing footprints, gait patterns, or shoe wear—offers a non-invasive, cost-effective tool compatible with low-resource settings. The integration of AI, particularly deep learning and convolutional neural networks, promises enhanced accuracy in classifying footprint morphology, estimating stature from foot dimensions, and matching barefoot prints to suspects; a trend gaining traction in Nigerian academic and criminal justice pilot studies. However, significant pitfalls persist like algorithmic bias due to under-representation of Nigerian foot anthropometry in training datasets, limited digital infrastructure, and lack of local validation studies. The excessive reliance on AI without contextual skeletal or soft tissue assessment risks false positives, especially in cases of foot deformities, child remains, or post-mortem changes. Ethical concerns around data sovereignty and the absence of forensic AI regulations in Nigeria complicate the adoption process. Consequently, while AI-enhanced forensic podiatry holds promise for identification in disaster victim identification and sexual assault cases involving footprints, its current pitfalls demand a hybrid, expert-led approach. There is need for culturally tailored AI models, interdisciplinary collaborations, and rigorous empirical testing before routine implementation in Nigerian forensic casework.
Biography
Christabel Francis is an Assistant Lecturer at the department of Anatomical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria. She obtained her first degree in Anatomy from the department of Anatomical Sciences in 2018. She proceeded to get a Master's degree in Forensic Science (Forensic Taphonomy) at the University of Kent, United Kingdom in 2023. She is a passionate Forensic Scientist who would like to push the frontiers of the field in Africa. Her short-term goal is to mentor young scientists who are willing to take Forensic Science as a career path in Nigeria. She intends to establish a private Forensic Crime Laboratory in Nigeria in the near future
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