The article analyses clothing damage resulting from the use of dangerous tools in criminal activities. Forensic examinations often encounter fabric and knitwear damage caused by tools such as knives, axes, machetes, daggers, and military double-edged knives. Despite publications on traces left by knives and axes, there is limited research covering other tools, justifying the need for more comprehensive studies. The project aimed to assess the ability to distinguish and correctly interpret traces on clothing caused by various dangerous tools. The research material included eight types of clothing and eight types of tools, such as knives, axes, screwdrivers, ice picks, and broken bottles. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage included experiments with widely used tools on four types of textiles, with the use of Styrofoam mannequins and ballistic gel acting as substrates. The second stage focused on less common tools and other textile materials. The research results allowed for the classification of traces based on the type of tools used. Distinctive features of damage were observed depending on the type of tool and clothing material. It was demonstrated that ballistic gel as a substrate is more effective in terms of obtaining realistic traces than a Styrofoam mannequin.
Black powder weapons include firearms manufactured before 1885 and their modern replicas. They use black powder instead of smokeless one and in Poland they are completely legal to possess and carry, even without a permit. The study aimed to examine cases of fatalities caused by black powder weapons recorded at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków and compare them to deaths resulting from conventional firearms. A review of autopsy reports and photographic documentation from January 2012 to December 2025 was conducted. Moreover, data regarding gunshot wounds and the circumstances surrounding these fatalities were collected. Out of 16,315 autopsies performed, 144 involved firearm-related fatalities, including 13 cases attributed to black powder weapons (9.0%). Homicides accounted for 38.5% (n = 5) of cases involving black powder firearms, compared to 19.1% (n = 25) for other firearms. Notably, no female firearm suicides were recorded. The findings indicate that black powder firearms are used in both homicides and suicides, making up a considerable proportion of firearm-related fatalities, particularly in Cracow. Compared to conventional firearms, black powder weapons show a higher homicide-to-suicide ratio. These findings highlight the need to reassess their legal status in Poland, as easy access may facilitate their use in homicides.
The salivary microbiome is an emerging area of interest in forensic science, due to its potential insights into human activity patterns, health, and behaviour. Traditionally, the salivary microbiome was limited to oral health; however, current research indicates that the salivary microbiota profile may serve as a supplementary biological marker for forensic investigations. This article conveys information about how different diets, lifestyles, and the environment influence microbial populations in saliva and may provide insight into personal habits and lifestyles. This review further combines research on the application of the salivary microbiome in estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) and in ancestry inference based on population-specific microbial composition. Based on literature reviews, this article examines both the advantages and limitations of salivary microbiome analysis as an innovative technology across a broader spectrum of disciplines, from criminology to medicine.
The primary aim of the present study was to identify risk factors for criminal thinking styles among women convicted of violent offences. Criminal thinking styles are conceptualised as the cognitive content and processes that initiate and sustain criminal activity by repudiating personal responsibility and employing rationalisations and cognitive distortions. Potential risk factors were selected on the basis of prior literature and grouped into biological, psychological, environmental, sociodemographic, and penitentiary categories. Statistical analyses yielded significant predictors for six of the eight criminal thinking styles. These predictors were: low occupational activity, a high level of the temperamental trait of endurance, elevated personal distress, and elevated fantasy as components of empathy, as well as a high level of secure and a low level of avoidant attachment style. The findings offer practical implications, including the importance of vocational activation for incarcerated women, recommendations for empathy-skills training, and the introduction of criminal-thinking assessment tools as a cyclical method for evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitative interventions and estimating recidivism risk.
The objective of the present article is to provide an examination of the interrelationships between sexual sadism, psychopathy, and violence. Sexual sadism and psychopathy are frequently regarded as synonymous with sexual criminality. Psychopathy is a severe form of antisocial personality disorder (AS PD) characterised by a lack of empathy and remorse, high self-esteem, a manipulative interpersonal style, and poor behavioural control [1]. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with psychopathy are more likely to commit violent or sexual crimes and have a higher rate of recidivism in comparison to individuals not diagnosed with psychopathy [2, 3]. Conversely, sexual sadism is predominantly associated with a need for control, sexual paraphilias, and atypical behaviours observed at the crime scene. However, it should be noted that the actual prevalence of sexual sadism (and its variants, such as sadistic violence) among sex offenders is unknown [4]. Research has indicated a moderate yet statistically significant correlation between psychopathy and sexual sadism in sex offenders and sexual murderers [5]. A review of the extant literature in this area reveals that few studies have sought to ascertain the comorbidity of these two concepts, and even fewer have addressed the conceptualisation of similarities in predicting violence in each of them. Consequently, an analysis of the current debate regarding their role in the origins of criminal behaviour is of significant importance for theoretical, empirical, and clinical implications in the field of forensic science.
