Towards a standard of scientific evidence in on-site inspection: compilation of the ECLM on-site inspection form in a broad case history
The European Council of Legal Medicine (ECLM) on-site inspection form allows the collection of data relevant to the identification, collection, sampling and preservation of all elements that, during the on-site inspection, may be useful as forensic evidence. The aim of this study is to assess the completeness of the information collected in a large number of on-site inspections, the records of which were drawn up without the use of the ECLM on-site inspection form, in order to verify the usefulness and the application of this form. The authors present a multicentre study involving 20 Italian forensic medicine institutes. For each institute, the reports of on-site inspections carried out without the use of the ECLM on-site inspection form were collected and a forensic pathologist was asked to analyse the individual cases and to identify, for each case, the presence or absence of information regarding all the points examined by the ECLM on-site inspection form. A practical database was prepared and sent to each institute for this analysis. Data were collected and analysed from a total of 1721 on-site inspection reports. Our results document that certain items on the ECLM on-site inspection form are not always investigated in reports written without the use of this tool. The use of the ECLM on-site inspection form proves to be a valid tool to assist the forensic pathologist during the on-site inspection. We therefore hope that the forms developed by the ECLM will be systematically adopted in the forensic practice of the forensic pathologist.
Authors
- G Burrascano
- Silvia Damiana Visoná (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7947-7087)
- Giovanni Scalzo
- Biagio Solarino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3096-8998)
- Giovanni Cecchetto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0100-935X)
- Mariagrazia Marisei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6703-9917)
- Lorenzo Desinan
- Martina Focardi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-7117)
- Antonio Oliva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7112-9096)
- Francesco Baldari
- Paolo Fais (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2270-9956)
- Anna Laura Santunione (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8828-1895)
- Francesco Ventura (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8870-793X)
- Giulia Mercuri
- Rossana Cecchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8451-7212)
- Matteo Antonio Sacco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1750-3742)
- Vilma Pinchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6124-3298)
- Enric Sala (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4730-3570)
- Claudia Casella (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7229-0885)
- Umberto Genovese (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6714-914X)
- Denis Cusack (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6677-9059)
- Mario Picozzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5327-4441)
- Stefania Zerbo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1101-0864)
- Maurizio Burlando
- Federico Vecchio
- Carlo Pietro Campobasso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2865-0673)
- Isabella Aquila (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2481-6050)
- Mario Gabbrielli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-9077)
- Nicolò Vernazza
- Saverio Gualtieri
- Monica Bolognini
- Gaetano Di Donna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-3472)
- Elena Sofia Oliveri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5562-0557)
- Andrea Verzeletti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6085-3249)
- Maria Puntarello (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3094-5908)
- Giorgia Franchetti
- Isabella Caristo
- Antonina Argo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9964-0184)
- Jessika Camatti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8449-1803)
- Alessandro Feola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9666-2636)
- Alessio Asmundo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3159-7095)
- Lorenzo Franceschetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0887-0708)
- Valentina Bugelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0082-327X)
- Silvia Bianchini
- Guido Viel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9769-535X)
- L Ambrosi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9825-1739)
- Elvira Ventura Spagnolo
- Paolo Palermo
- Alessia Attanasi
- Tommaso Bruscagin
- Laura Battistig
- Fabrizio Tosku
- Sara Lippi
- Federica Attico (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5322-4133)
- Valentino Sarallo
- Giuseppe Mammola
- Davide Mario Pingaro
- Kiti Doci
- Fattorini Paolo
Institutions
- University College Dublin (IE)
- University of Siena (IT)
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT)
- University of Messina (IT)
- University of Insubria (IT)
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (IT)
- University of Parma (IT)
- University of Udine (IT)
- University of Padua (IT)
- University of Trieste (IT)
- University of Milan (IT)
- University of Pavia (IT)
- Magna Graecia University (IT)
- University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (IT)
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Catanzaro (IT)
- University of Florence (IT)
- University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT)
- University of Naples Federico II (IT)
- University of Brescia (IT)
- University of Genoa (IT)
- University of Palermo (IT)
- University of Bologna (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Legal Medicine
- Published
- 2025-09-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2025.102717
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 11.71