Mr Raphael Musau, a Scotland Yard trained fingerprint and scene of crime management expert and the managing director of Hawk Eye Technologies explains to Amos Kareithi how poor handling of the scene of crime has seen dangerous criminals walk to freedom.
Question: What is a scene of crime?
Answer: There is a distinction between a crime scene and a scene of crime. A crime scene is a place where the crime is purported to have been committed. On the other hand, a scene of crime is a place where a crime has been committed and where physical evidence may be collected.
Q: How important is professional management of a scene of crime?
Mr Raphael Musau, the managing director of Hawk Eye Technologies and an expert in scene of crime management during the interview in his office. [PHOTO/AMOS KARIITHI/STANDARD] |
Members of public too ought to be trained because anybody can be a witness and unwittingly find themselves at a scene of crime. Training of police officers will eradicate the behaviour of some officers tampering with evidence by handling exhibits such as weapons without gloves. Exhibits should be placed in special bags to avoid contamination.
Q: How should the scene of crime be handled to prevent contamination of evidence?
A: The first person to visit the scene of crime should isolate the scene, seal it off to prevent people trampling all over the place and interfering with evidence. This is not the work of the police alone but even civilians, who should secure the place until the police arrive.
Q: Does it mean that any police officer has the authority to visit a scene of crime?
A: Not all police officers have the right to access the scene of crime. In fact, it should be the duty of police officers who arrive at a scene of crime to keep everybody away from the scene. Not even the president or the commissioner of police should be allowed into a scene until the scene of crime officers have arrived and cleared with it.
Q: What is the role of the scene of crime officer at a scene of crime?
A: Once a scene of crime expert arrives at a scene, say a murder scene, he should photograph it without touching anything. Then the officer should take inventory of physical evidence and carefully record it together with the time, location, date climatic conditions and the description of the victim and the nature of wounds on their bodies.
Q: In the event of failure by scene of crime experts to show up, what happens?
A: There has been a tendency by police officer to carelessly handle exhibits at a scene. At times they are forced to remove bodies from the scene, because there is no scene of crime expert. This compromises gathering of evidence and affects the outcome of the consequent investigations and trial.
Q: What evidence is likely to be lost if the scene of crime is not professionally handled?
A: It is not possible to have a scene of crime without evidence. There must be physical evidence such as a gun or any other weapon. A glass of water, for instance, will yield rich evidence in fingerprints or saliva. Papers, footprints or fibres from clothes can also be found. You cannot go to a scene and lack evidence. That is why it is very important to secure a scene with tapes and involve a scene of crime officer.
Q: Are private investigators authorised to access the scene of crime?
A: The trend to invite private investigators into the scenes of crimes has not gained currency in Kenya. However, a private investigator has a right to access the scene, but cannot commence investigations in the absence of a police investigator. This will change with time as has happened with autopsies where relatives of victims now invite their own pathologists to witness post mortem examinations.
