On the issue of using the results of a virtual autopsy in criminal investigation: A review

Abstract

This study discusses the legislative aspects of using virtual autopsy (virtopsy) results as evidence in criminal cases. When reviewing the literature, several works that present algorithms for using the results of computer modeling of a corpse in the investigative process, as well as the legal aspects of using virtopsy in the field of forensic science and the description of some medical cases, were identified. It also revealed a need for more comprehensive work covering both the legal grounds for using virtopsy results during the investigation and the practical aspects of using this technology for evidence in specific categories of court hearings. A SWOT analysis of the use of virtopsy to improve the quality of crime investigation has been performed. Based on the results of the study, the positive and negative aspects of using virtopsy in investigative actions were identified, and practical recommendations for its use in cases of sudden death, medical errors, and the preparation of an examination of an unidentified corpse were developed. Using virtopsy results increases the validity of the conclusion in judicial practice, its use should complement the results of an autopsy, and the pictures can be attributed to drawings that can be used during investigative actions and, in the future, as evidence by attaching them to the interrogation protocol. Furthermore, virtopsy is used when the deceaseds relatives refuse to have a pathoanatomical autopsy performed, often for religious reasons. Using machine programming elements in computed tomography procedures will allow for a re-examination of the corpse without exhumation, determining whether death occurred due to a service error and increasing the efficiency of forensic medical examinations.