Serology In Criminal Investigation

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It also turns out that many forensic techniques that have been practiced for years – without the benefit of sufficient scientific research – are accepted and repeated as fact. Juries are left with the impression that the evidence is more scientific than it is, and the potential for wrongful convictions increases. For instance among DNA exoneration cases, The Innocence Project has discovered that many people were wrongfully convicted after forensic testimony misrepresented serology results (citation). Serology (the scientific study of blood serum and other bodily fluids) is still used, but before DNA testing it was the only way to help identify the source of blood, semen or other bodily fluids at a crime scene. Using serology, forensic analysts could determine what blood type was present in fluids collected in a rape kit, for example. …show more content…
There have even been cases where forensic analysts provide inaccurate statistics for the percentage of the population who share the perpetrator’s blood type