Use of an underwater drone during the study of drowned bodies: a review

Abstract

This article describes the effectiveness of an unmanned underwater vehicle (underwater drone) in searching for drowned people in reservoirs and the impact of an underwater drone on the production of forensic medical examination in drowning. The article considers the norms of legislation that regulate the procedure for using an underwater drone in the criminalistic support of crime investigations. This study considered the norms of legislation that regulate the use of scientific and technical means in criminology and scientific publications of researchers in the field of forensic medical examination. A SWOT analysis of the use of an underwater drone to improve the quality of crime investigation was performed. The results of the study revealed the positive and negative aspects of the use of an underwater drone in investigations. Based on the results of generalization of scientific papers and analysis of the use of scientific and technical means in the activities of law enforcement agencies in foreign countries, the use of an underwater drone for examining corpses in water was proposed. An underwater drone can reach places inaccessible to humans and help identify key details of the crime. During investigation of drowning crimes, underwater drones enables the analysis of the condition of the victim’s body without bringing it to the surface, which facilitates further investigation.