PROJECT: CRIME SCENE PRESERVATION AND LEGAL RISK AWARENESS (PART 4)
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How Innocent Actions Can Destroy Evidence and Create Criminal Liability
Specialised Security Services (SSS) has consistently highlighted that many criminal investigations in South Africa
are compromised not by a lack of evidence, but by unintentional interference at crime scenes by well-meaning individuals. According to SAPS annual reports and independent policing oversight bodies, a significant percentage of serious cases
— including homicide, assault, sexual offences, and armed robbery — experience evidentiary challenges due to scene contamination, evidence removal, or premature cleaning.
Public ignorance regarding crime scene preservation remains a critical weakness in the criminal justice process.
Ordinary citizens, family members, neighbours, employees, and even victims themselves often act instinctively —
attempting to help, clean, explain, or protect — without understanding that such actions may irreversibly damage
forensic evidence and expose them to criminal or civil liability.
THE FACTS:
Once a crime has occurred, the location becomes a potential crime scene regardless of ownership.
South African law does not require police tape to make a space legally sensitive.
The moment an unlawful act takes place, any interference with evidence may constitute:
Defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
Tampering with evidence.
Being an accessory after the fact.
Providing misleading or false information to authorities.
SSS investigations have repeatedly shown that people underestimate how easily they can cross from "helpful" to "legally exposed", particularly in emotionally charged situations involving family members or employees.
COMMON WAYS INNOCENT PEOPLE DESTROY CRIME SCENES:
1. CLEANING BLOOD, FLUIDS OR "MESS":
One of the most frequent and damaging actions is cleaning before the police arrive.
Blood spatter patterns, diluted fluids, wiped surfaces, and cleaned clothing can determine:
Direction of force.
Sequence of events.
Number of participants.
Weapon type.
Whether injuries are defensive or offensive.
Even using water, towels, mops, or disinfectant can erase critical forensic markers permanently.
2. MOVING THE BODY OR INJURED PERSON (WHEN IT IS NOT MEDICALLY NECESSARY):
Unless there is an immediate life-threatening emergency, moving a body or a severely injured person:
Alters body position analysis.
Destroys footprint and drag evidence.
Compromises time-of-death estimations.
SSS has encountered cases where families moved deceased individuals to "make them comfortable," unknowingly creating suspicion and investigative complexity.
3. HANDLING WEAPONS OR OBJECTS:
Picking up knives, firearms, bricks, bottles, or tools — even “just to put them away” — removes:
Fingerprints.
DNA.
Blood transfer evidence.
Placing such items back later does not restore evidence integrity and may raise suspicion of manipulation.
4. ALLOWING OTHERS TO ENTER THE SCENE:
Well-intentioned actions such as calling neighbours, relatives, or colleagues to “come see what happened” result in:
Footprint contamination.
Cross-transfer of fibres and DNA.
Conflicting witness recollections.
Every unnecessary person entering a scene weakens its forensic value.
THE DANGER OF WHAT YOU SAY - NOT JUST WHAT YOU DO:
1. SPECULATION AND ASSUMPTIONS:
Statements like:
“He must have slipped”,
“She always drank too much”,
“They were fighting earlier”,
may later contradict forensic findings and create credibility issues for witnesses.
2. TRYING TO "PROTECT" SOMEONE:
SSS has documented numerous cases where individuals attempted to protect loved ones by:
Withholding information.
Altering timelines.
Removing items.
This often results in additional charges, not fewer consequences.
3. CASUAL CONVERSATIONS BEFORE LEGAL ADVICE:
Talking freely to police, neighbours, or media without understanding your legal position can unintentionally:
Place you at the scene.
Assign you knowledge you cannot later retract.
Create inconsistencies used in court.
WHY CRIME SCENE PRESERVATION MATTERS TO JUSTICE:
Crime scenes are silent witnesses.
When preserved correctly, they:
Corroborate truthful statements.
Exonerate the innocent.
Strengthen prosecutions.
Reduce wrongful arrests.
When compromised, investigations rely heavily on circumstantial or testimonial evidence, increasing the risk of:
Collapsed cases.
Acquittals.
Vigilante justice.
Ongoing threats to public safety.
Specialised Security Services emphasises that crime scene preservation is not only a policing responsibility —
it is a public responsibility. Innocent actions taken in panic, grief, or confusion can irreparably damage evidence,
obstruct justice, and expose individuals to severe legal consequences they never anticipated.
The safest response after any serious incident is simple:
Do not touch, move, clean, or rearrange anything.
Secure the area if possible.
Call emergency services.
Say only what you know — not what you assume.
Seek professional guidance immediately.
If you have been involved in, witnessed, or discovered a serious crime —
or if you fear that a scene may already have been compromised —
contact Mr. Mike Bolhuis and the team at Specialised Security Services.
The SSS Specialist Investigators provide confidential guidance, independent analysis,
and professional support to protect both the integrity of the investigation and the rights of those involved.
Crime scenes do not forgive mistakes — but informed action can prevent them.
RELEVANT SSS PROJECTS:
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Regards,
Mike Bolhuis
Specialist Investigators into
Serious Violent, Serious Economic Crimes & Serious Cybercrimes
PSIRA Reg. 1590364/421949
Mobile: +27 82 447 6116
E-mail: mike@mikebolhuis.co.za
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