The longevity of the latent fingerprints of children vs adults

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to determine if there was a difference in the longevity of the latent fingerprints of children vs adults. It is generally believed that a subject’s age does not affect the evaporation rates of fingerprints. However, based upon a recent criminal investigation of child abduction, it was hypothesized that children’s latent fingerprints do not last as long as those of adults. Participation in this study was voluntary and informed consent obtained. A total of 97 subjects pressed their fingers on glass slides and their latent fingerprints were lifted one, three, five and seven days later. A comparison was then made between the longevity of the prints of children vs adults. Almost all of the adult prints were still present on day seven. Of the children’s prints, 20 percent were unclear on day three; 54 percent were unclear on day five; and 76 percent were unclear on day seven. This has implications for law enforcement and forensic science in that time may become a critical variable in criminal investigations requiring the lifting of latent fingerprints of children.

Citation

Blasdell, R. (2001), "The longevity of the latent fingerprints of children vs adults", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 363-370. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510110401726