Kryminalistyka w mediach

W pracy naukowej najbardziej interesują mnie przestępstwa z tzw. ciemnej liczby, czyli te niewykryte. Zupełnie inaczej niż w serialach, gdzie wykryte zostaje niemal każde zdarzenie kryminalne. Zwykle także przestępca zostaje ukarany i świat znowu staje się sprawiedliwy. Z tym że seriale są o bardzo poważnych przestępstwach, takich jak zabójstwa czy porwania, bo nic tak nie przyciąga uwagi widza jak tajemnica. O tym także mogą przeczytać moi Czytelnicy na kolejnych stronach, czyli jak to jest z tą wykrywalnością oraz skutecznością działań służb mundurowych. Będzie także o tym, jak analizować statystyki przestępczości, zarówno w serialach, jak i w rzeczywistości, a także o edukacyjnej roli mediów.

Scientific evidence in the opinions of criminal proceedings participiants and its presentation in TV crime series The following dissertation is dedicated to analyze the nature and perception of forensic scientific evidence in the age of fast development of science and technology as well as in the age of media civilization. The first part of the dissertation is concerned with scientific evidence in Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal Judicial Decision. Also, the foundations of evidence law and the position of forensic experts in the common law system according to the Polish law system is described. Next, approaches to the assessment of the strength of scientific evidence between experts is discussed. The result is that even DNA evidence or fingerprint evidence can be discussed in different ways. Empirical research has been conducted. Questionnaire surveys that have been conducted include “experts”: 50 experts in various specialties of forensic science, 77 prosecutors, 119 judges, 64 lay judges, 161 police officers and 80 members of general public (students of biology). In-depth interviews have been conducted with 20 police staff, and also a focus group has been carried out with 15 law students. In addition, chosen crime series have been analyzed. According to the respondents’ opinion, people’s perceptions and expectations of forensic science - as it can be observed during criminal trials - are largely inflated by crime series. Experts describe the influence as negative since it causes forming unreal expectations towards forensic science experts and police work. The syndrome is called “efekt W11” (W11 effect) as this crime series is mostly indicated by respondents as influential in correspondence to the “CSI effect” in common law where crime series can also influence criminal litigation.