Criminal Investigation/Criminalistics in Europe: State of the Art and a Look to the Future

Abstract

Criminalistics/Criminal investigation is treated differently in European countries. In some countries, it has the status of an independent science, often connected with law (Germany, Russia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland), in others it is a "half" science usually incorporated formally to criminology (Slovenia, Austria, Croatia) or a sub-discipline of police sciences and criminology or recognized only as a forensic science (France, Italy, United Kingdom). The terminology used is different, especially between English and non-English speaking countries, and the connections between criminalistics and other disciplines such as forensic science, police science, investigative psychology, and criminology are not clear. Although there is a need for more and more specialized knowledge of criminal investigation and scientific evidence both for investigators and prosecutors and judges, these topics are not covered enough by research and scientific literature. It is important to develop criminalistics as a practical discipline in police academies and police vocational schools, however there is also a need to study and research it at the university level. It is important, however, that criminalistics obtains a status as an independent science and not just be a part of criminology or police science. Possibilities to gain a common ground between countries in Europe are not good because of a traditional view of this science.

More research and exchange of results should be encouraged among European countries. Language barriers make exchange of information and literature difficult, thus the analyses of textbooks have shown that most authors use only literature in their own language. The future of criminalistics/criminal investigation should be discussed and possible dangers to human rights predicted. The use of brain fingerprinting, visual recognition technology, information and communication technology, micro expressions, new psychological techniques of interrogation and interview, criminal intelligence models and proactive investigation methods can attribute to more effective detection and investigation of crime but can also pose threat to human rights.