Study on the performance of different craniofacial superimposition approaches (II): Best practices proposal.
Craniofacial superimposition, although existing for one century, is still a controversial technique within the scientific community. Objective and unbiased validation studies over a significant number of cases are required to establish a more solid picture on the reliability. However, there is lack of protocols and standards in the application of the technique leading to contradictory information concerning reliability. Instead of following a uniform methodology, every expert tends to apply his own approach to the problem, based on the available technology and deep knowledge on human craniofacial anatomy, soft tissues, and their relationships. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of different craniofacial superimposition methodologies and the corresponding technical approaches to this type of identification. With all the data generated, some of the most representative experts in craniofacial identification joined in a discussion intended to identify and agree on the most important issues that have to be considered to properly employ the craniofacial superimposition technique. As a consequence, the consortium has produced the current manuscript, which can be considered the first standard in the field; including good and bad practices, sources of error and uncertainties, technological requirements and desirable features, and finally a common scale for the craniofacial matching evaluation. Such a document is intended to be part of a more complete framework for craniofacial superimposition, to be developed during the FP7-founded project MEPROCS, which will favour and standardize its proper application.
European Centre for Soft Computing, Mieres, Spain. Electronic address: sergio.damas@softcomputing.es.
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Damas
Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification, University of Dundee, UK.
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Wilkinson
Division of Identification and Forensic Sciences, Israel National Police, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Kahana
Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.
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Veselovskaya
Main Department of Criminalistics Investigation Committee of Russia, Moscow, Russia.
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Abramov
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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Jankauskas
Science Program, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia.
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Jayaprakash
Legal Medicine School, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
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Ruiz
Physical Anthropology Laboratory, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
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Navarro
Physical Anthropology Laboratory, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
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Huete
Forensic Sciences Centre (CENCIFOR), Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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Cunha
Research Unit of Paleoradiology and Allied Sciences, Ospedali Riuniti di Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
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Cavalli
Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
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Clement
Department of Identification - Criminalist Services, Civil Guard, Madrid, Spain.
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Lestón
Department of Identification - Criminalist Services, Civil Guard, Madrid, Spain.
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Molinero
South Africa Police Service, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Briers
Crime Scene Investigation Section, Forensic Laboratory, Portuguese Criminal Police, Lisbon, Portugal.
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Viegas
National Research Institute of Police Science, Japan.
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Imaizumi
Public Ministry, Lima, Peru.
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Humpire
European Centre for Soft Computing, Mieres, Spain; Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
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Ibáñez
D003657:Decision Making; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012984:Software
Craniofacial identification; Craniofacial superimposition; Forensic Anthropology Population Data; Forensic anthropology; MEPROCS