Turkish laboratories reinforce forensic examination of damaged documents

The twinning project on advanced forensic laboratory analysis methods in Turkey has implemented a virtual activity based on the forensic examination of damaged pieces of paper, which have, in the majority of cases, been burnt, torn or immersed in liquids.

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior took part in the activity through the Forensic Service of the Guardia Civil.  This is the second time that Spanish specialists have provided training to the Turkish forensic graphology department within the framework of this twinning project managed by FIIAPP and financed by the European Union. On the previous occasion, prior to the pandemic, two Civil Guard specialists travelled to Ankara to offer training on the analysis of biometric signatures and the presentation of the work protocol they use in the analysis of handwritten texts and signatures for identification purposes.

This time, the activity was carried out as a virtual workshop based on the study of forensic laboratory protocols for the location, collection and transport of totally or partially burnt and torn documents and those immersed in liquids and analysis methods for damaged documents, with a special focus on the use of non-destructive techniques. The implementation of a quality management system in a forensic documentoscopy laboratory was also discussed, taking into account the tools available to improve the services offered by such a laboratory.

Joint exercises between laboratories on testing methods which can be used by accredited laboratories and indeed any other laboratory that has not implemented a quality management system in order to tackle similar cases using their own work methods enable not only the evaluation of the technical capacity of such laboratories but also the validity of the protocols used in the trial in question.