Lubricant in fingermarks could catch out sexual offenders

The technique is claimed to provide proof of contact with a condom, placing someone accused of a sexual offence at the scene of the crime.

There has been an increase in the use of condoms by sexual offenders, likely due to both to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and to prevent the transfer of DNA evidence.

The technique used by researchers at the university’s Biomedical Research Centre (BMRC) can detect condom lubricant on fingermarks left by a suspect at a crime scene.

This can link a suspect, identified by their fingermark, to the crime in one analysis and can aid police in proving that an offence has taken place. It is hoped the technique might be used to match lubricant found on a fingermark with residues from vaginal swabs collected from the victim.

Researchers successfully detected lubricant from two widely available condom brands on fingermarks for the first time, and the technique was proven to be successful even on fingermarks left several weeks before analysis.