By Stephen Beech Maggots may help solve rape cases, suggests a new study. Blowfly eggs and larvae can carry crucial evidence - such as sperm - which could help in sexual assault investigations, say scientists. Research shows that blowflies can inadvertently collect and retain DNA evidence from sexual assault crime scenes, making them a potentially powerful tool for forensic investigations.
Forensic entomology is already well-established for its ability to estimate time of death and other details by studying insect activity. But the new study, by researchers at the University of Portsmouth , examined whether insects can carry DNA evidence to identify a sexual offences suspect. The research team say their findings, published in the Journal of Forensic Entomology, could prove "invaluable" in solving complex cases where conventional evidence is scarce or unavailable.
Alexine Clarke, of the University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said: “I wanted to question whether eggs being laid on a body with semen present could act as a vessel for DNA, which would theoretically allow us to link an offender to the crime. “Although forensic entomology can be used in death investigations to estimate time since death, recovering male offender DNA, attributed to sperm cells, from the gut content of blowflies is relatively new, and this is the first time research in England has looked specifically at sperm cells.” The research team designed an experiment to mimic real-world .
