Contemporary paths of criminalistics as a science of crime investigation (Review)

Abstract

Recognizing the complexity of the forensic expert's work and their capacity to assist in clarifying facts with criminal implications, it has been deemed necessary to reflect on the practical utility of their reports, their scientific value, and the breadth of their contemporary roles, both in the identification of persons or objects and in the general clarification of the dynamics of criminal acts. Therefore, this work aims to characterize the state of development of Criminalistics in order to establish its main challenges in improving investigative methods and techniques. A qualitative approach was employed, using the methods of documentary review and complementary legal exegesis. It was concluded that there has been significant progress in the identification of persons through DNA, and that the use of genetic fingerprint databases creates legal and practical barriers that must be overcome through the creative interpretation of current regulations. Furthermore, it was determined that the fields of analytical chemistry, nuclear criminalistics, and geological surveying, despite their forensic applicability, are advancing at different rates and require additional interpretive efforts from legal professionals.