ISSN: 2573-1734
Authors: Gregório I*, Zapata F, GarcÃa Ruiz C and MartÃnez P
Bodily fluids recovered from sexual assault cases are key evidence in forensic investigations. Through the detection and extraction of bodily fluids, it may be possible to recover male-cell DNA and obtain a genetic profile which might help identify the perpetrator. Nowadays, the recovery of bodily fluids as evidence for posterior genetic profiling still represents a difficult challenge. Firstly, the usual methods for bodily fluid identification can be partially destructive, using a portion of the sample for analysis. The difficulty increases when bodily fluids, mainly semen, must be extracted from substrates like superabsorbent sanitary pads, which provide intimate and recent evidence. Superabsorbent sanitary pads are composed of several layers with different compositions and absorbing capabilities. The lower layer is the most absorbent, composed of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs). Currently, only the upper SAP-free layers of superabsorbent pads are used for extracting bodily fluids after incubation with deionised water, since SAPs in the lower layer form a hydrogel when in contact with fluids. Thus, the validation and implementation of semen extraction procedures are currently needed to recover higher quantities of retained bodily fluids within the lower cores. Recently, some authors have suggested different strategies for the extraction of semen and male-cell DNA from SAPs, by both a chemical and physical treatment approach, to promote the dewaterisation and a physical separation of the SAPs from the biological material. The present work is a review of the up-to-date research on superabsorbent substrates like sanitary pads as an important evidence of sexual aggression cases at the forensic laboratory.
Keywords: Superabsorbent Sanitary Pads; Bodily Fluids; Semen Extraction; Forensic Evidence; Sexual Aggression
