Arian van Asten: Committing and Solving Crimes through Chemistry

Chemistry and our knowledge of molecules and the elements of which they are made is at the foundation of the wealth and prosperity of modern societies. However, it is undeniably true that every discovery that can be used to do good will inevitably also be used to do bad and commit crimes. It is in the criminal law were we define the rules of our society and define what we can do and can’t do to ensure our personal freedom but also the safety and security of others. So, when we want to know if a certain activity is illegal, we first must check the criminal or in Dutch ‘Wetboek van Strafrecht’. Interesting questions for a chemist therefore is where chemistry can be found in such legal document and why. When this is understood than it also becomes clear what the forensic chemist needs to do to provide objective, scientific proof that the suspect indeed as claimed by the Public Prosecutor is guilty as charged. As will be shown in this presentation, it is usually never that easy. Because the fundamental uncertainty associated with science matches rather poorly with the absolute decision that needs to be taken in court (guilty/not guilty). And then there is the matter of source versus activity. The evidence material or a forensic trace typically does not constitute a crime in itself, only human activities are defined as such in the law. So, what can the chemical analysis of physical evidence actually reveal about such activities and could that be used to reconstruct events and solve a crime? In this evening lecture you will be entertained while also learning about the basic principles that govern forensic science and forensic chemistry!