Forensic Research

Forensic Research is one of the core tasks of the Forensic Research Agency (RBFO). RBFO investigators dedicate 70% of their capacity to cases involving a (suspected) crime.

The client/assignor provides traces or materials that may contain traces. These pieces of evidence are referred to as 'items of conviction' (SVOs) in criminal law. RBFO examines SVOs such as drugs, weapons, mobile phones, as well as DNA material like saliva and blood. In the case of non-natural deaths, the forensic pathologist conducts a judicial autopsy, examining the body externally and internally.

Over 30 Fields of Expertise

Since RBFO has nearly all natural science fields in-house, the diversity of evidence it investigates is enormous. Multiple traces from the same case are often received. The 'Interdisciplinary Forensic Research' (IDFO) team within RBFO coordinates these cases and works with involved RBFO experts to assess how the results from different investigative areas relate to each other.

Products and Services

The 'International Forensic Book' is the product and service catalog of RBFO. The catalog provides an overview of all products and services that customers can request, complete with product numbers and technically detailed product descriptions.

Forensic Science

Forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil law, primarily - on the criminal side - during criminal investigations, as governed by legal standards of admissible evidence and criminal procedure.

Forensic scientists collect, preserve, and analyze scientific evidence during an investigation. While some forensic scientists travel to the crime scene to collect evidence themselves, others play a laboratory role, conducting analyses on objects brought to them by other individuals. Yet others are involved in the analysis of financial, banking, or other numerical data for use in investigations into financial crimes and may serve as consultants to private companies, academia, or government employees.

In addition to their laboratory role, forensic scientists testify as expert witnesses in both criminal and civil cases and can work for both prosecution and defense. While any field could technically be forensic, certain sections have evolved over time to encompass most forensic-related matters. Forensic science is a combination of two different words: forensis and science. The first, forensis, relates to a discussion or investigation in public. Because proceedings were typically held in public, it has a strong legal connotation. The second is science, derived from the Latin word for 'knowledge' and nowadays closely associated with the scientific method, a systematic way to acquire knowledge. Taken together, forensic science means the use of scientific methods and processes for solving crimes.