CRIMINAL STAGING AS A FACTOR DISTORTING CRIMINAL PROCEDURE COGNITION: EPISTEMOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Criminal staging, the deliberate manipulation of crime scenes to create deceptive narratives, poses significant epistemological and methodological challenges to criminal justice processes. This study analyzes the impact of staging in Russian judicial practices from 2019 to 2024, based on 47 adjudicated cases. Staging is classified into material, ideational, and digital typologies, with 82% of cases exhibiting negative circumstances (e.g., anomalous traces, metadata inconsistencies), leading to erroneous investigative hypotheses in 68% of cases within 48 hours. Notable delays in detection (averaging 17 weeks in 35% of hybrid digital cases) and a 61% reclassification rate through interdisciplinary approaches are observed. A proposed diagnostic algorithm, integrating anomaly detection, alternative hypothesis testing, and AI-enhanced verification, counters cognitive biases. This research frames staging as a multidimensional cognitive disruptor, offering methodological tools—bias-mitigation training and standardized protocols—to enhance evidentiary integrity and investigative resilience, while highlighting the need to address epistemic injustices in global justice systems amid evolving digital threats.