Interviewing forensic specialists regarding medical-legal illustration methods to replace gruesome graphic evidence

Abstract

Jurors are often subject to psychological health issues like secondary trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to exposure to gruesome graphic evidence. Against this background, the current study investigated the usefulness of medical-legal illustrations that include important details on the victim, including nature and position of wounds and cause of death. However, there have been no attempts to establish an effective format for medical-legal illustrations to facilitate the delivery of accurate information while also minimising traumatic stress or PTSD symptoms. We interviewed forensic doctors to determine the most suitable representational format for conveying relevant information. We concluded that the degree of detail (realistic and inclusive of characteristics) and colouring were important factors in determining the effectiveness of illustrations’ representational format.