Forensic Fraud (ePub)

Scientist, Criminal Profiler, and Instructor with Forensic Solutions, LLC, and an Adjunct Professor of Justice Studies at Oklahoma City University. He can be contacted via email at: bturvey@forensic-science.com.

The introductory chapter gives a background to forensic fraud across practice settings with a predominantly American historical context. Definitions of terms, like scientific misconduct, forensic examiners, forensic fraud, perjury and “ghost authorship ensure readers are grounded in the principles of the book. Fraud is a dark topic in the forensic community with complex interplay of motivations and consequences. The author states, “anyone can commit a fraud, therefore likely perpetrators are difficult to predict.

In the second chapter, Occupational Fraud is explored using the triangle of “opportunity, pressure and rationalisation recognising that organisational cultures may be behind fraud. Readers are reminded fraud is distinct from error and negligence by virtue of intent. The wide variability across forensic science disciplines and practice with regards to methodologies, techniques, reliability, and the types and numbers of potential sources of error are acknowledged. In some areas, there are no “gold standard forensic methods and there may be competing cultures between scientists and law enforcement agencies.

The chapter on Fraud and Scientific Culture, opens with the quote “The scientific endeavour is based on vigilance, not trust which summarises aptly core Popperian theories. Readers are introduced to differences between falsification, fabrication, plagiarism and research misconduct. Prevalence of these issues are concluded as much higher than often reported and just the “tip of the iceberg.

The differences and similarities between the values and cultures of forensic scientists and law enforcement agencies are explored with the “bad apple hypothesis challenged. Readers are also introduced to the inherent loyalty challenges experienced by scientists embedded in law enforcement agencies struggling to conform to institutional cultures. This includes committing, tolerating, concealing or defending acts of overt misconduct – often for years. While there is a dearth of data on the actual frequency of forensic fraud, a series of case studies and reports shed light on the ease in which this can permeate forensic culture.

In chapter 8, data from 2000 to 2010 are also presented to buttress the point and qualitative sources from courts, agencies, print and electronic media considered other than solely published peer literature. While the data tables and charts could be better presented, they only slightly detract from the core information. The subsequent chapter presents more detailed multivariate analysis of the preceding one and may be found over inclusive to the less data analytic reader. The sample size is small and there are numerous limitations to the study cited which are instructive.

In concluding, the author suggests some useful reforms to the recruitment process, education, organisational culture, and understanding of role conflict in forensic science. These suggestions would also benefit new services. The book ends with a rich collection of case studies, which encourage readers to think analytically about contexts of fraud. The book is well indexed and references are current and usefully include web-based material.

While this book has a predominantly American slant, the lessons are rich and transferable to western and less industrialised or less forensically developed countries. It can be argued that the book actually sets a governance framework for developing forensic organisations globally. Apart from the forensic community, historians, scientific researchers, expert witnesses, organisational behaviour specialists and psychologists and occupational health practitioners may also find this an important reference text on their shelves. —Grace Y. Edozien, MRCGP, MFFLM Forensic Physician, St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre