So What Did Margie Say About...CSI's Sexual Assault Kit

The 8/14/13 repeat episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled "Backfire" had its first blog entry on 4/11/13.

 

This time I'd like to talk about the Sexual Assault Kit that turned the investigation in this episode.  I haven't spoken of the contents of the kit prior to now.

 

The clothes are taken.  If not all of the clothes, the underwear in particular is taken at the very least.  The victim may be asked to remove her clothing while standing on a large sheet of paper so that any trace evidence that falls off during the disrobing may be collected and possibly used to help identify a perpetrator.

 

The fingernails are scraped, again to collect any possible trace or potential DNA from the suspect.

 

Wounds and injuries are photographed.

 

Swabs are taken and potential evidential fluids are obtained from the mouth, the anus, and the vaginal area.  Sometimes the inner thighs are swabbed as well. 

 

If the interview of the victim suggests that other areas are to be swabbed, then that area is swabbed as well.  For instance, the suspect may have kissed or licked the victim.  These areas need to be swabbed.  The suspect may have bitten the victim  These areas need to be swabbed and photographed and if bite marks are present, casts need to be taken.  And obviously, if the victim ejaculated on the victim or other object, these areas need attention. 

 

Hair samples used to be taken in the form of combings of the pubic region in case suspect hairs were present.  As I have mentioned in the past, microscopic examination of hairs is no longer routine and hairs that naturally fall out will not have the root present to get a DNA profile.  But if hairs from the suspect are pulled out - now there is the potential to have the root present and possibly a DNA profile from the suspect.

 

Times have changed over the last few decades and sexual assault victims are interviewed and treated differently than in the 'good ole days' when it was essentially up to the victim to prove that she didn't entice the perpetrator and wasn't just crying 'wolf'.  In the 70's and 80's the rape victim had to essentially have suffered severe injuries to obtain any credibility to her accusation of assault.

 

Thank goodness we are past that.  Unless, I guess, you are a drunk teenage girl who has overdone the beverage intake at a party attended by high school athletes.  But this is a topic for another day.