Abstract:
The spread of non-lethal firearms among different sections of the population of Ukraine and the increase of their varieties available for sale is another modern challenge for forensic examination. In this regard, there is an urgent need to study the characteristics of injuries caused by the newest types of traumatic guns, taking into account such a factor as clothing. The purpose of the study was to determine the features of the shape and size of damage defects caused by shots from "Fort 12R" and "AE 790G1" pistols from different distances depending on the covering material of the human body simulator. To achieve the goal, 120 gelatin
blocks (60 for each gun) were shot, divided into 4 subgroups according to the coating: bare blocks, covered with cotton fabric, denim fabric, leatherette. Shots were fired from contact range, 25 and 50 cm. Subsequently, damage description and statistical processing of the obtained results were carried out in the licensed statistical package "Statistica 6.0". When analyzing the reliability of differences between the studied groups in the assessment of the area of the defect, mostly significant differences (p<0.05-0.01) were found both between different subgroups of blocks and between the corresponding groups of guns. Analysis of the defect shape indicator revealed both significant differences (p<0.05-0.01) and trends to differences (p<0.076) in all studied groups, except within the subgroup where bare blocks were used. Thus, the identified differences in the shape and area of defects allow us to use them to solve the issue of identification of shots from "Fort 12R" and "AE 790G1" pistols at close range, 25 and 50 cm distances and help to improve the understanding of the role of clothing in gunshot injuries. In further research, it is advisable to perform a comparative analysis using data on additional factors of the shot.
