Few would suspect that the back of a hand could hold the key to securing convictions for some of Britain’s most heinous and sickening crimes.
But thanks to Professor Sue Black and the pioneering Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, that has often been the case in recent years.
Of the 40 or so cases they have worked on — most of which involve high-profile instances of child sexual abuse — the team’s data has resulted in 82% of suspects changing their plea.
Speaking to the Tele, Prof Black said: “Our role is to be able to determine the identity of the perpetrator by seeing individual parts of an anatomy and examining the human variations.
“For example, the patterns of veins, creases of skin over the knuckles, scars and the half-moon at the base of your fingernails all differ even between your left and right hands. We are able to identify how common each individual aspect of a hand is and — between a combination of genetic, developmental and accidental factors — we can usually tell beyond all doubt when there is a match between the police shot of the suspect and our image.”
A lot of the work requires Prof Black and her team, including hand expert Dr Helen Meadows, to view extremely disturbing and distressing material.
Their most recent success was the case of Jeremy Oketch, a pharmacist from Manchester, who was convicted in March after filming himself repeatedly raping a two-year-old girl.
The footage was described by the judge as “horrific and graphic”.
Following a forensic report produced by Prof Black and her team, Oketch changed his plea to guilty and was convicted.
They received a special letter of commendation from Greater Manchester Police for their integral work in bringing the case to a close. Asked whether there is a sense of accomplishment when such an outcome is reached, Prof Black said: “When someone is convicted in a case like this, it is a hollow victory. But when our report causes a change of plea, this not only saves the courts time and money, but also means victims, carers and families do not have to go into court and give evidence.
“This element of protection of vulnerable people is the most rewarding part. That is the only time we take any delight in it, as a child has been protected from further trauma.”
With regards to having to view footage and images that would scar the average person for life, Prof Black said: “There is no getting around the harsh truths of what we have to witness. As a mother of three and grandmother of two, it can get very difficult.
“You have to rid yourself of any guilt and remind yourself that you were not responsible for what happened — and to look at it from a clinical perspective.
“My job is to make sure someone is not wrongly accused as much as it is to achieve convictions of guilty suspects.
“The stigma attached to people accused of such crimes who turn out to be innocent is very difficult to shake off, so my job is about making sure the court’s decision is as informed as possible.”
Another of the department’s success stories came in 2009 with the conviction of Neil Strachan, the ringleader of Scotland’s biggest paedophile network.
His unusually distorted lunula — the white half-moon at the bottom of a nail — helped identify and convict him.
When it comes to protecting staff, Prof Black told how she herself views the footage first before verbally briefing the team and what they are dealing with.
This also enables footage to be cropped down to show only the parts which are absolutely necessary.
Along with comprehensive debriefs, the team also has professional counsellors on hand for anyone badly affected.