Utilisation of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis in Casework

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is a discipline that is useful in both the investigative and evaluative phases of an investigation. The field of BPA is one that attracts attention from software developers and educational institutions. The purpose of this study was to understand the extent to which BPA is used in casework. 120 bloodstain analysts of varying expertise and training from around the world completed a survey addressing their experiences of using BPA in casework. Of these participants, 73.34% of the participants indicated that they did two cases or less per month on average. 77.5% of the participants indicated that area of origin (AO) calculations were not used as part of their casework. 71.67% of the respondents have never given evidence in court, with only 5.83% appearing in court less than two times a month. 18.33% of the participants indicated the use of software or technologies in casework, despite 38.33% having access to such specialised provisions. Given that 89.17% of the participants believe that such provisions will enhance the criminal investigation , there is a significant hurdle to the use of emerging technologies in BPA casework. As a result of these findings, there appears to be clear evidence that the focus of educational institutions and the investments into