Computer Expertise in Criminal Investigation: Crimes Related to Promoting or Aiding Suicide

Encouraging or aiding a suicide attempt is a crime (Article 110.1, Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In connection with the current surge in cybercrimes, computer information research offers new procedural and criminalistic solutions in suicide-related investigations. The article offers a comprehensive categorization of expert knowledge and criminalistic tactics in digital information research to be used in criminal investigation. Based on legal and investigative practice, the author formulated a checklist for forensic computer experts. This list includes digital traces that lead to particular users and devices, as well as retrieving confirmation of deliberate destructive psychological influence. The checklist of organizational, tactical, and procedural principles for engaging computer specialists in criminal investigation provides effective, thorough, and objective pre-trial investigation for this category of crime. Apart from contributing to corpus delicti, it also identifies all implicated in encouraging of aiding a suicide attempt.