Face reality - consider face touching behaviour on subsequent DNA analysis

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ABSTRACT

Face touching is a common habit that can have implications on the outcome of criminal investigations. When conducting activity level assessments, it is important to be aware of any factors that may impact the type of profile obtained from the sample of interest. This may include the number, duration, location, and manner of contacts that a person makes with themselves. In this study we have recorded the contacts made by different individuals, of their hands with their face, over a 1 hr period, while working within an office. All participants were observed to regularly touch their face. Swabs of the face of some participants were subsequently collected for DNA profiling. The individuals sampled were found to be the sole or majority contributor to the profiles generated.

KEYWORDS:

• Face touching
• DNA transfer
• DNA prevalence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).