Forensic Gait Analysis

Gait analysis is the systematic study of human walking, using the eye and brain of experienced observers, augmented by instrumentation for measuring body movements, body mechanics, and the activity of the muscles. Since Aristotle’s work on gait analysis more than 2000 years ago, it has become an established clinical science used extensively in the healthcare and rehabilitation fields for diagnosis and treatment. Forensic Gait Analysis details the more recent, and rapidly developing, use of gait analysis in the forensic sciences. The book considers the use of observational gait analysis, based on video recordings, to assist in the process of identification or exclusion. With the increase in use of CCTV and surveillance systems over the last 20 to 30 years, there has been a steady and rapid increase in the use of gait as evidence. Currently, gait analysis is widely used in the UK in criminal investigations, with increasing awareness of its potential use in the US, Europe, and globally. The book details the history of the science, current practices, and of the emergent application to establish best-practice standards that conform to those of other forensic science disciplines. Engagement with the Forensic Science Regulator, and the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences in the UK, and the International Association for Identification has helped to ensure and enhance the quality assurance of forensic gait analysis. However, there remains a fundamental lack of standardized training and methodology for use in evidentiary and investigative casework. This book fills that void, serving as one of the first to describe the current state of practice, capabilities and limitations, and to outline methods, standards of practice and expectations of the gait analyst as a forensic practitioner. Forensic Gait Analysis reflects current research and forensic practice and will serve as a state-of-the-art guide to the use of gait analysis in the forensic context—for both education and training purposes. It will be a welcome addition to the libraries of professionals in the areas of podiatry, gait analysis, forensic video analysis, law enforcement, and legal practice.

Forensic Gait Analysis examines the inter-section of podiatric medicine with forensic investigation—that which links or dissociates a suspect to a crime through analysis of their gait, that is their movement—how an individual walks, runs, and bends. This book provides a concise explanation of how an individual's gait and biomechanics are forensically analysed and compared, using video imagery in the process of human identification and investigations. Along with the presentation and delivery of material with case law references illustrating the use of expert evidence. Gait analysis is a long-standing component of the diagnostic and therapeutic tool set of medical disciplines, although the knowledge goes back much further. The area has also captured the interest of technology engineers and others, as the development and use of forensic gait analysis as an investigative and evidential device continues to widen. Features: • Presents succinct knowledge on forensic gait analysis. • 100+ illustrations with photographs and diagrams; over 850 references. • Considers the technical and scientific basis of the field including, the history of gait, musculoskeletal, neurology, emotions and gait, forensic statistics, photogrammetry, and recognises the trajectory of development into IT and software solutions. • Coverage on CCTV imagery and other video footage for use in the process of identification and investigations. • Details are provided on report writing and giving expert evidence in the legal systems. • Contributors across all subject areas. This definitive fully referenced text on Forensic Gait Analysis is a welcome publication for healthcare professionals, lawyers, counsel, investigators, forensic practitioners, and students wishing to know more on the subject and this growing domain.

Gait analysis is the systematic study of human walking, using the eye and brain of experienced observers, augmented by instrumentation for measuring body movements, body mechanics, and the activity of the muscles. Since Aristotle’s work on gait analysis more than 2000 years ago, it has become an established clinical science used extensively in the healthcare and rehabilitation fields for diagnosis and treatment. Forensic Gait Analysis details the more recent, and rapidly developing, use of gait analysis in the forensic sciences. The book considers the use of observational gait analysis, based on video recordings, to assist in the process of identification or exclusion. With the increase in use of CCTV and surveillance systems over the last 20 to 30 years, there has been a steady and rapid increase in the use of gait as evidence. Currently, gait analysis is widely used in the UK in criminal investigations, with increasing awareness of its potential use in the US, Europe, and globally. The book details the history of the science, current practices, and of the emergent application to establish best-practice standards that conform to those of other forensic science disciplines. Engagement with the Forensic Science Regulator, and the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences in the UK, and the International Association for Identification has helped to ensure and enhance the quality assurance of forensic gait analysis. However, there remains a fundamental lack of standardized training and methodology for use in evidentiary and investigative casework. This book fills that void, serving as one of the first to describe the current state of practice, capabilities and limitations, and to outline methods, standards of practice and expectations of the gait analyst as a forensic practitioner. Forensic Gait Analysis reflects current research and forensic practice and will serve as a state-of-the-art guide to the use of gait analysis in the forensic context—for both education and training purposes. It will be a welcome addition to the libraries of professionals in the areas of podiatry, gait analysis, forensic video analysis, law enforcement, and legal practice.

Forensic Gait Analysis examines the inter-section of podiatric medicine with forensic investigation—that which links or dissociates a suspect to a crime through analysis of their gait, that is their movement—how an individual walks, runs, and bends. This book provides a concise explanation of how an individual's gait and biomechanics are forensically analysed and compared, using video imagery in the process of human identification and investigations. Along with the presentation and delivery of material with case law references illustrating the use of expert evidence. Gait analysis is a long-standing component of the diagnostic and therapeutic tool set of medical disciplines, although the knowledge goes back much further. The area has also captured the interest of technology engineers and others, as the development and use of forensic gait analysis as an investigative and evidential device continues to widen. Features: • Presents succinct knowledge on forensic gait analysis. • 100+ illustrations with photographs and diagrams; over 850 references. • Considers the technical and scientific basis of the field including, the history of gait, musculoskeletal, neurology, emotions and gait, forensic statistics, photogrammetry, and recognises the trajectory of development into IT and software solutions. • Coverage on CCTV imagery and other video footage for use in the process of identification and investigations. • Details are provided on report writing and giving expert evidence in the legal systems. • Contributors across all subject areas. This definitive fully referenced text on Forensic Gait Analysis is a welcome publication for healthcare professionals, lawyers, counsel, investigators, forensic practitioners, and students wishing to know more on the subject and this growing domain.

Forensic Podiatry: Principles and Methods, Second Edition has been completely updated to reflect the latest developments and advancements in this changing field. New additions to the book, from the previous edition, include all new chapters on the expert witness, Frye Test, and Daubert Standard, as well as revised theories on gait analysis, bare footprint identification, and footwear examination. The new edition includes extensive case studies and an international compilation of current best practices. Since this text’s first publication, the field of forensic podiatry has rapidly developed from relative obscurity to a dynamic, internationally recognized discipline. Forensic podiatrists have been able to advance improvements in the field, both in widening the range of applications and deepening the practice through improved techniques to strengthen evidentiary conclusions. Written by two pioneers in the field, Forensic Podiatry includes over one hundred detailed illustrations to serve as an invaluable resource for students, practicing forensic podiatrists, legal professionals and those new to the profession.

Forensic Analysis - Scientific and Medical Techniques and Evidence under the Microscope is an edited collection with contributions from scholars in ten countries, containing cutting-edge analyses of diverse aspects of contemporary forensic science and forensic medicine. It spans forensic gait analysis evidence, forensic analysis in wildlife investigations, mitochondrial blood-typing, DNA profiling, probabilistic genotyping, toolmark analysis, forensic osteology, obstetric markers as a diagnostic tool, salivary analysis, pharmacogenetics, and forensic analysis of herbal drugs. This book provides information about the parameters of expertise in relation to a number of areas that are being utilised as a part of criminal investigations and that are coming before courts internationally or will soon do so. Thereby, it is hoped that rigor in the evaluation of such evidence will be enhanced, a fillip for developing standards will be provided, and the incidence of miscarriages of criminal justice will be minimised.

In addition to covering the work undertaken in a number of European countries, the case studies presented cover a range of issues dealt with by forensic anthropologists from around the world including; stab wounds; blunt force trauma; gunshot wounds; dismemberment; burning; personal identification, including issues relating to the investigation of ancestry in European investigations; juvenile human remains; the work of forensic anthropologists in unsolved cases; and work undertaken to eliminate discoveries of human remains from police investigations. The final chapter of the book explores new developments in the field of forensic anthropology with gait analysis and facial recognition of a living individual based on analysis of CCTV footage. This book is primarily designed for students of forensic anthropology and those engaged in forensic anthropological work in various areas of the world.

The human foot is a complex body part composed of fifty-two bones, which is twenty-five percent of all the bones in the body. Nonetheless, the foot is often viewed by the public and doctors as a “minor” body part. Similarly, the importance of pedal evidence in crime investigation has also long been undervalued, but as footwear evidence has become more commonly used in forensic situations, so has pedal evidence, which is why this seminal work is so important: it is the first textbook ever dedicated to forensic podiatry. Forensic Podiatry is an international compilation of current practices authored by the pioneers in the field. Part I discusses general forensic concerns, including those at the crime scene, from an informative perspective. It covers tasks performed by the crime laboratory, forensic podiatry principles, and various aspects of human identification. Part II deals with specific forensic podiatric concerns such as photographic techniques, bare footprint identification, and footwear examination and analysis. It also discusses forensic gate and analysis as well as the identification of pedal remains from podiatry records, which is important for mass disaster scenes. Part III presents actual forensic podiatry case studies from the United Kingdom and the United States, and Part IV focuses on podiatry practice standards, which in many instances parallel expert witness responsibilities. Groundbreaking and essential, this book is useful for medical and criminal justice students as well as podiatrists, criminalists, footwear examiners, forensic anthropologists, attorneys and investigators.