Profile

Blood Alcohol Expert Laboratory

In most police or court procedures it is vital to know, if the suspect or the victim was under the influence of alcohol. The personnel of the central laboratory is capable of examine the alcohol content of over 20.000 blood and urine samples yearly, thanks to the modernisation in 2012.

The clues are admitted by the laboratory in standardized bloodcupping units. The samples in the units are marked by unique barcodes to ensure the anonymity in the process of the measuring and the administration. The samples are prepared by two separate technicians, with the help of semi-automatic sample-dispenser.

The etil-alcohol concentration of the prepared samples are measured by two HS-GC device (head space gas chromatograph). The final result is generated as the average of 4 measurments (two measurments on 2-2 colonnas of the devices).

According to the analytical measurments, the etil-alcohol concentration of the blood- or urine sample is determined by a forensic chemist in the expert report. The affected persons blood alcohol concentration in the time of the act in question (f.e. felony or offence) is determined by one of the HIFS’s forensic medical expert in an independant - or in some cases, in a joint - expert report.

Since November 2014 it is possible to examine the samples drug- or new psychoactive substance contents with the HPLC-MS/MS device. The appointing official is informed immediately in the case of drug or NPS influence, but the laboratory is not authorised to make an expert report on this information: it belongs in the jurisdiction and competency of the HIFS’s Department of Forensic Toxicology, and a few university’s toxicology institutes.

The laboratory’s experts take part in international proficiency tests with significant success since 1991. The renewal procedure of the laboratory’s accreditation is currently in progress.

Arson Investigation Laboratory

The main task of the laboratory is to examine residues of flammable liquids and other distillates in fire debris and in other trace evidences. In addition, the experts analyzes unknown substances (f.e. organic or inorganic liquid residues) for identification and comparison.

The goal of the examinations is to verify, if the fire debris contains any residues of accelerants. The examinations require special sample preparation methods; for identification procedures the staff of the laboratory uses 4 gas chromatographs (GC) coupled with flame-ionisation detectors and 2 gas chromatograph/mass spectrometers (GC/MS), one of them coupled with automated thermal desorbtion equipment.

In the suspicion of arson it is possible, to examine the suspect’s clothing for the traces of accelerants.

The experts can answer the questions regarding the cause of fire, cause of an accident and to determine, if the examined fuels have common origin or not.

With the help of the available equipment it is also possible to analyze unknown organic or inorganic liquids, like active substances of different gas sprays and paint dissolvents (f.e. chromofag).

The laboratory’s experts are active members of the ENFSI Fire and Explosion Investigation Working Group and they take part in international proficiency tests since 2009. The renewal procedure of the laboratory’s accreditation is currently in progress.

Head of the Department of Blood Alcohol and Forensic Arson Investigation:

Edina Kovács
Department of Blood Alcohol and Forensic Arson Investigation
head of department, forensic chemist

Laboratory of Mark Examination

Mark identification is a forensic science discipline that aims to determine and identify objects as the source of marks on crime scenes. Beyond this task the forensic mark experts take part in solution of theoretical problems like reconstruction of events. There are some object which able to leave unique impression 2D and 3D marks, or striated tool marks. This includes piece of shoeprints, vehicle tireprint, toolmarks on the different surfaces eg. clothing, vehicles, mechanikal locks and other devices of property protection.  
Examiners use optical microscopic systems, such as stereo microscope, photomacroscope, endoscope, borescope, comparative microscope and special lighting systems. If it is necessary they use a special shoe identification and casework management system (Sicar6).
The experts of the laboratory are active members of the ENFSI MWG (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes Mark Working Group).

Accreditation fields of Laboratory of Mark Examination:

• examination of mechanical locks
• comparative examination of stretched toolmarks
• comparative examination of shoeprints

Laboratory of Firearm Examination

The examiners of the laboratory identify special toolmarks left behind by projectiles, cartridge cases and shotshell components. The basic or classic job of a forensic expert is to identify the weapons. To perform their study they use special microscopes, bullet speedometer and special equipment. 
The laboratory has been developed with Ballistic Identification System (BIS) EVOFINDER 4x4. The system consists of a Specimen Analysis System (SAS), a Data Acquisition Stations (DAS) and an Expert WorkStations (EWS). The SAS is aimed to operate of BIS EVOFINDER^®, to carry out an automatic identification of the object under examination against the objects in the database and store highquality digital images with corresponding information. The DAS is aimed for digital recording of the objects surfaces – “virtual” objects creation — and saving them in the database. The EWS is aimed for carrying out ballistic expertise (identification) as well as sending the request to the SAS for automatic correlation of the “virtual” objects stored in the database. That provides the experts a list of similar objects for taking a final decision as to the expertise results.
The experts of the laboratory are active members of the ENFSI EWG Firearms/GSR (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes Expert Working Group Firearms).

Accreditation fields of Laboratory of Firearm Examination:

• muzzle velocity measurement and muzzle energy calculation
• examination of weapons
• examination of ammunitions
• comparative examination of projectiles
• comparative examination of cartridge cases

Laboratory of Handwriting and Document Examination

Handwriting and document experts primarily give advisory opinion in criminal cases, also they can be appointed in civil actions, administrative, notary and mediatory processes. Usually there is a need of initiating an expert in the investigation of cases when there is forgery of private and official documents, defrauding, black-mailing and manslaughter.
The basic or classic job of a forensic handwriting expert is to identify the author of the unknown or questioned handwritings. The essence of the expert method is to explore the uniqueness of the examined writings throughout the characteristics of the writings, i. e. to compare and value them. The professional statements depend on the quantity and quality of the available questioned and specimen handwritings.

The professional questions can relate to the facts that are in connection with the creation of the writing, for example, if there are any signs of extraordinary circumstances under which the writing was created. During the examination, the possible changing of the natural writing has to be taken into consideration, while distinguishing the alterations, disguises and forgery and their types and the methods.
In the cases of anonymous letters, or if there is not a possible criminal, an attempt can be made narrowing the focus of the investigation, the demographic scope of the suspects. It is carried out for example on the basis of the frequency of occurence of handwriting features in male and female handwritings.
Another group of the examinations are the technical handwriting and document examinations. These are, for example, revealing original content from the invisible, hardly seen or indented handwritings, recovering the text of the deleted, crossed or covered writings, also answering the questions in connection with the general characteristics of the document, its additional modifications, the writing material and the writing tools.
The handwriting experts do their job with the help of optical equipments, different lights, certain devices which are for examining the documents and an electrostatics detection apparatus.

The competence of the criminological document examination covers a larger range of documents in the common sense. Other than the most often occurring personal and travel documents there can be other subjects of the examination, for example: lottery, stamps, postal checks, envelopes, receipts, contracts or even a piece of paper found at the crime scene. Document examinations are essentially based on the optical examination of the individual elements of the document. These are the followings: the carriers (paper, plastic, etc.), the print elements, the safety elements and the filling out process. Primarily, the examination is carried out by a microscope or a document examiner device.
The document examining devices allow multiple exposure modes within one device. Both emission and reflection properties of the document elements can be examined in the ultraviolet, the visible and the near infrared ranges. It makes it possible to detect otherwise unseen phenomena. Also, the follow-up changes on the original document can be detected (e.g. washing, transcription) or the usage of materials other than the material of the original document. The laboratory uses non-destructive (mainly optical) examination methods.

Accreditation fields of Laboratory of Handwriting and Document Examination:

• forensic handwriting examination on the basis of the placement, general and special features of the handwriting

Head of the Department of Criminalistics:

János Halmai
Department of Criminalistics
director, forensic trace expert

The Department of Dactyloscopy includes two sections: Laboratory of Latent Print Examination; Laboratory of Person Identification and Database Management.

We have six separated databases in AFIS:

• Under Criminal procedure database;
• Asylum seekers procedure database;
• Refugees procedure database;
• Elimination database;
• International database;
• Latent database.

There are tenprints and palms in the criminal and elimination databases as well as there are only tenprints in the asylum seekers, refugees and international databases.
Actually we store approximately 2 million cards. More than 200 thousand palm prints and approximately 60 thousand latents.
Approximately there are incoming one hundred thousand cards per year regarding criminal processing.

Laboratory of Person Identification and Database Management

We store the fingerprint and palmprint cards here. The cards have made by ink or LiveScan.

We send only the biometric data without personal data into the AFIS. The minutiae are automatic placed and the tenprints searching against tenprints also automatic. If it is a HIT the tenprint examiner has to check it manually. Every result needs to verify by examiner in Hungary. AFIS stores the fingerprints and these are searched in the unsolved latent database. The result of the search goes to the owner expert of the latents.

Laboratory of Latent Print Examination

Hungarian experts use the numerical standard to identification. Hungarian numerical standard requires 10 minutiae. We also consider the qualitative criteria (for example clarity, extent of distortion) and other facts (such as surface, method of development).

The experts work according to the ACE-V (Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification) standard method.
Fingerprint examination consists two phases. In the first phase of examination, we analyze the visible prints. The purpose of the analyze is to determine whether the print is used for the comparison or not. The second phase is fingerprint identification examination. Because of we want to determine their mutually identical details under this examination we compare latent print with known tenprints and/or palm prints.
First the expert exams the latent print manually with magnifying glass or AFIS (in case of digital photos) and decides whether the latent print is suitable or not. It means that the latent print could have had minimum 10 minutiae and the qualitative criteria are sufficient as well.
The expert compares the suitable latent print with the innocent(s)’ and/or suspect(s)’ cards. If it is NO HIT – we scan or import the latent into the AFIS. We use Cogent AFIS in Hungary.
The processing may be automatically or may be manually. After the digitalization expert edits the latent print. It means that the expert put each minutia on the image of latent print. We can sign the pattern, core and delta.
After the phase of edit the expert sends the print for searching in the database of ten/palmprints. The AFIS provides a candidate list (with 5-25 potential cards). The expert checks the minutiae in every single candidate.
If one of the candidates is HIT, the expert checks it manually. Expert asks the Fingerprint Card from the Laboratory of Person Identification and Database Management. After the result had been checked with magnifying glass, two other experts also check it. If it is NO HIT, the latent print is saved into the AFIS database, and searched constantly among the new cards.

If this procedure is complete, the report is going to be made.

Prüm

We have used the PRÜM data exchange since 2012.
Nowadays we have possibilities to search in databases of 18 Prüm’s member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Nederland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain).
As a result potentially number of searchable fingerprints has been increased multiple times.
In case of Prüm procedures the dactyloscopy data exchange is completely anonymized.

EURODAC

We use EURODAC System concerning asylum seekers and refugees applications since 2004. Herewith Hungary takes part in the international responsibility. Since July 21^st of 2015 there is possibility to initiate law enforcement searches because of the fight of the terrorism and serious crimes.

Interpol

We have contact to the Interpol Bureau thereby we can receive initiates from any countries of the world.

The Department of Dactyloscopy has accreditation since 2012 according to the ISO 17025. We involve in several international proficiency tests (for example CTS, Ron Smith & Associates).

Head of the Department of Dactyloscopy:

Szilvia Bánovics
Department of Dactyloscopy
director, forensic fingerprint expert

The main task of the Drug Investigation Department is to do the identification, confirmation of the illicit narcotic drugs and new psychoactive substances in seizures in order to give information to the prosecution or intelligence purposes.

In accordance with the national law, the penalty depends on the quantity of pure drugs and new psychoactive substances, therefore the laboratory has to do quantification for controlled substances including traditional and new drugs.

In specific cases the laboratory also has to compare samples collected on various sites to prove their common source. For this purpose different impurities are investigated in seized drugs, deriving either from the raw material or from the chemical process.

The analytical results of materials seized in Hungary are collected in the central database and trends are evaluated annually. This is the basis of national drug reports (see "Chapter 10 - Drug markets" in National Reports for EMCDDA).

The department plays active role in the Drugs Working Group of the ENFSI. Main activities:

• provides Proficiency Test for ENFSI laboratories (identification and quantitation of illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances)
• co-authors of ENFSI DWG Guidelines on Sampling of Illicit Drugs for Quantitative Analysis
• coordination of IR spectral library for illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances (ENFSI DWG, RESPONSE)

The laboratory is accredited since 2013 according to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for identification of illicit drugs and quantification of main drugs. The renewal of the accreditation is in progress.

Head of the Drug Investigation Department:

Tamás Csesztregi
Drug Investigation Department
director, forensic chemist

The Section for Facial Recognition Analysis began it's activity with 16 experts in 2016.

The facial recognition experts, who came from different fields of sciences e.g. biologists, anthropologists and criminologists, deepen their knowledge permanently with courses about the latest outcomes of facial morphology and IT.

There are two types of facial image recognition: identification of an unknown person and confirmation of the ID in case of falsificated documents.

The facial image analysis is a two-step process. At first the profiles which generated by the computer program is being compared with our database and secondly the results are evaluated by the experts and sent back to the claim holder.

Head of the Section for Facial Recognition Analysis:

Lajos Bukta
Section for Facial Recognition Analysis
head of department

The Department of Forensic Engineering works within the Directorate of Judicial Expertise of Hungarian Institute for Forensic Sciences.

The main duty of the department is to fulfill an official assignment in a case where a law allows or obliges the conduct of the probationary procedure ex officio, or (Eg civil, criminal and administrative matters) or, depending on its free capacity, based on a mandate, to carry out judicial expert activities, to produce judiciary expert opinions on the laws, regulations, instructions, and professional methodology.

Within the Department of Forensic Engineering, the judicial experts work in four main areas. The main areas are the following:

• road vehicles and transport
• architecture
• IT
• speech and voice recognition

The experts can do the required measurements and test on-site. The department has the necessary personal conditions and technical background to perform the tasks. The experts of the department carry out their expert tasks in territorial institutes operating at several points of the country. The experts engage in complementary activities in areas of their competence to provide the professional background needed to produce appropriate, well- founded expertise.
The department’s experts are members of several domestic and international organizations:

• Hungarian Chamber of Judicial Experts (MISZK)
• Chamber of Architects
• Chamber of Engineers
• EVU (European Association for Accident Research and Analysis)

Two of the experts specialized in road traffic have a certificate issued by IQ-CERT Quality Assurance and Certification Institute certified according to DIN EN ISO / IEC 17024: 2012.

Section of Vehicular Forensic

The tasks performed by the road traffic expert can be divided into the following main groups:

• contribution with Authorities at accident site, collecting necessary data for the expertise, shooting photos to reconstruct the original state
• analysing road accidents (movement conditions, speeds, …etc.) using software
• commenting railway accidents from the road traffic point of view
• investigation of the technical context of road accidents (establishment or exclusion of occasional technical failures)
• investigating the causes of road accidents due to environmental impacts (eg. weather conditions, different road conditions, etc.)
• investigation of road accidents from the driving technique and avoidance point of view
• investigating road accidents at limited light conditions by using digital camera technique and advanced computer technology
• statements of vehicle damage by accidents or thefts
• analysing insurance frauds from the expert point of view
• analysing situations in police offense procedures
• investigating vehicles modified for the propose of smuggling,
• investigating of unauthorized modifications
• evaluation of road vehicles(tax base of customs, domestic and foreign exchange value calculations)
• investigation of vehicle repairs based on warranty, professionalism and cost considerations
• determining maintenance and operating failures of road vehicles
• determining the link between the damage caused by road accidents of malfunction and the damages

In road vehicle area, we can give expertise on the following competencies:

• road safety engineering (accident analysis)
• road vehicle testing
• urban traffic, traffic technology and traffic management
• mining and construction machinery
• motor vehicle transport (repair, maintenance, vehicle evaluation)
• road transport, transportation
• road vehicles
• road vehicle design engineering
• agricultural and food mechanization
• technological design, maintenance and operation of road construction machinery
• mobile loading machine, loading machine
• production of agricultural machinery
• manufacture of food and tobacco machinery
• manufacture of machine tool
• manufacture of household appliances
• manufacture of paper and printing machinery
• manufacture of rubber and plastic products (except road vehicles)

For the experts in road vehicle area different computer software are available (PC-CRASH, Virtual Crash, EUROTAX, Audatex system, etc.), which are regularly updated.

Group of Forensic Architecture

The tasks performed by experts in construction and skilled work can be divided into the following main groups:

Design work (architecture, building physics, geotechnics, foundation construction)

• examination and evaluation of construction plans from technical, legal and standardization point of view
• creating control calculations

Execution work (construction industry, building physics, building construction, geotechnical engineering, construction)

• evaluation of the quality of the construction work, quality classification
• analysis of the execution work, identification of possible errors, determination of the technical and cost implications of the repair

Investment Assessment (construction works)

• investigating and analysing the process of construction works
• analysis of the technical content and value of the works

Cost analysis (construction industry, building physics, geotechnical engineering, supporting structures)

• analysing the cost of planning and construction work, real cost determination
• analysing the cost of construction work processes

Determination of damage

• determining the extent of damage to buildings and structures (pipe breaking, fire, hail, construction defect…etc.) designing the technical content and cost of repair
• analysing damages during the use and handling of buildings and structures

Status examination

• record and document the status of existing buildings
• investigating and evaluating the status of damaged buildings

Building technology

Control of building organization and technologies

Real estate valuation

• determining the value of sales of residential, office, commercial and other community buildings, industrial, agricultural estates, and construction sites, making value divisions
• usage fee, in some cases rent determination
• investigating value-added investments, analyzing the impact of building structure damage to value

In architecture area we can give expertise on the following competencies:

• real estate valuations
• construction industry
• building construction
• construction work
• building physics
• architecture
• building power engineering
• building material industry
• support structures (statics)
• geotechnology, civil engineering
• building mechanization
• building technology

For the experts in architecture area different computer software are available, which are regularly updated.

Section of Forensic Information Technology

In IT area, we can accomplish the following IT activities:

• design and organization of IT systems
• software,
• IT equipment, PC, peripherals and local networks (hardware)
• IT security
• studio technology, multimedia
• investigating tablets, GPS devices, and mobile phones.

In IT area we can give expertise on the following competencies:

• software,
• studio technology, multimedia related IT activities,
• IT equipment, PC, peripherals and local networks (hardware)
• IT security
• design and organization of IT systems
• measurement technology related to electronic communication systems
• wired electronic communication
• digital broadcasting
• wireless electronic communication

For the experts in IT area different computer software are available (Oxygen Forensic Detective; Belkasoft Evidence Center Ultimate,… etc.), which are regularly updated.

Laboratory of Speech and Voice Recognition

Within speech and voice recognition specialization the following tests can be performed:

• investigating and analysing of audio records
• quality improvement of audio records
• script from audio records
• improving speech intelligibility
• investigating audio record manipulations
• identifying speaker (including voice sampling)

In speech and voice recognition area we can give expertise on the following competencies:

• sound technology
• content editing and creating in the field of audio-visual media

For the experts in the area different computer software and a so-called deaf-room is available.

Head of the Department of Forensic Engineering:

László Tangl
Department of Forensic Engineering
director, forensic vehicular expert

The Department of Forensic Medicine (Budapest Institute Of Medical Sciences at the time) was founded by the Minister of Justice in 1964.

The department ’s reports are produced in accordance with the 2016/XXIX. law on medical specialists, as per the request of the authorities and utilizing the newest scientific and technological breakthroughs while abiding to requirements of neutrality and impartiality.

The doctors of the department are qualified as specialists in following fields: forensic science, health insurance, pathology, internal medicine, neurology, occupational medicine, furthermore in forensic psychiatry, psychiatry, addictology while the psychologists possess qualifications of adult and child clinical and mental hygienic specialist, neuropsychology, psychological specialist, and psychotherapist.

The specialist work is supported by a team of well-prepared specialist-collaborators such as surgeons, thoracic surgeons, traumatologists, obstetrician-gynaecologists, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists, internists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, paediatricians, anaesthesiologists, radiologists, dentists etc.

The head of the department is also the Chairman of the Verification Committee founded to appraise the eligibility of judges and judge-secretaries.

The department was certified as the place for the vocational training of the General Medical Faculty of the Semmelweis University for forensics and forensic psychiatry specialisations.

Under the Department of Forensic Medicine operates the Section of Criminal Forensic Medicine. One of the tasks performed by the department is, while abiding to the operative measures/laws,  fulfil the role of on-scene medical expert (forensic), mainly acting as a specialist consultant of the investigational authorities, in the on-scene autopsies of non-natural deaths. The specialists of the department also perform magisterial and juridical autopsies on behalf of the police, furthermore the laboratory of histology preforms the histological investigations of the cause of death and other pathological differences ordered during the autopsies.

Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine:

Dr. Sándor Kosztya
Department of Forensic Medicine
director, forensic medical expert

Main duty of the Department of Forensic Tax and Auditing is to fulfill official assignments in cases  where the relevant  law allows or obliges the conduct of forensic procedure (Eg. in civil, criminal and/or administrative legal procedures).Further, based on a mandate, the Institue may be assigned to carry out judicial expert activities depending on its remaining capacity.

The main professional principle of the Institute is to carry out the task of the forensic expert objectively, based on profound professional knowledge and appropriate to the requirement of impartiality. 

The main areas are the following:

• examinations in offences against economy and property
• examinations in legal relationship of business entities (including budgetary organisations) and private persons, in matters like  business or financial settlements, the way of their conducting of bussiness, appraisal of previous damage calculations , and methods
• expert opinions in questions related to accounting and bookkeeping , their relations to IT systems and application to computerized registry programs
• verification of summation ascertainments in legal disputes between employer and employee
• examinations related to taxes, levies, subsidies, and benefits
• examinations related to management of  budgetary institutions
• examinations on the field of banking, capital market and insurance 

More than 50 years of  professional practice and experiencs is the guarantee  that  experts of the Institute as well as  technicians and office clerks  render their  services to various assigners on a high professional level.

The cases brought before the Institute are mostly complex,  requiring   itemized data processing, and a wide range of professional experience. In most instances experts give reports in cases, where the verification and/or supervision of  former  expert’ opinion is required.   Experts of the Institue have professional qualifications as  master of profession (MSc)  and as chartered accountant or master of taxes. Technicians of the Institute have professional qualification as bachelor of profession (BSc) Further, our experts take part  in the curricula of LL.M in the field  of tax and auditing  of Pázmány Péter University, Faculty of Law.  Important to us to maintain good cooperation with the professional chambers in the area of the applied common professional principles, methodology and work connections. 

Head of Department:

József Kosztovics
Department of Forensic Tax and Auditing
director

The Department of Medical Experts was transformed into Department of Biology in 1991, which has been separated into Department of Medical Experts and of Hemogenetics, later renamed as Department of Genetics. This department carries out the comparative study of core and mithocondrial human DNA from biological remains on different exhibits for person identification following international guidelines. Based on the expert activity the Department has the duty to maintain and manage the the national forensic DNA database. The CODIS based database has complete comparability to international databases, which enables the Department to take part in international data exchange in the frame of Prüm Treaty.

Beyond the expert work the employees of the Department take part in different scientific projects, aiming the development of technology of forensic genetics.

Hamilton AutoLys STAR 4+4 robotic workstation: This freely programmable high-throughput pre-PCR instrument allows the simultaneous processing of up to 72 swabs or other simple samples from autolysis through quantification to STR-PCR set-up within 12 hours. It can be adjusted to the proper management of different preparative kits (e.g.,  PrepFiler Automated Forensic DNA Extraction Kit - Applied Biosystems, DNA IQ System Kit - Promega, etc.) as well as the most widely used STR-PCR kits (e.g., AmpFlSTR NGM SElect Amplification Kit - Applied Biosystems, PowerPlex ESI 17 Pro Systems - Promega, etc.). Sample tracebility is proven by the use of 1D and 2D barcodes.

Hamilton StarLet 4 ML robotic workstation: This freely programmable high-throughput post-PCR instrument allows the simultaneous processing of up to 25 plates within couple of  hours. It can be adjusted to the proper management of almost any kind of post-PCR sample set-up processes. Sample tracebility is proven by the use of 1D and 2D barcodes.

Applied Biosystems AutoMate Express robotic workstation: This stand alone medium-throughput pre-PCR instrument allows the simultaneous processing of up to 13 swabs or other simple samples from autolysis to DNA extract within 1-2 hours. It can be adjusted to the proper management of sometimes problematic sample types (e.g., hairs, bones, etc.). Sample tracebility is proven by the use of 1D barcodes.

Applied Biosystems 3500 xL Genetic Analyser: This high-throughput post-PCR instrument allows the simultaneous processing of up to 24 samples within 1 hour. Due to its 6-dye compatibility there is no problem with the most informative STR-PCR kits (e.g., GlobalFiler PCR Amplification Kit - Applied Biosystems, PowerPlex Fusion Systems - Promega, etc.) currently available on the market. Sample tracebility is proven by the use of  1D barcodes.

Laboratory of Reference Samples Analysis

The main function of the Laboratory of Reference Samples Analysis is to determine the DNA profiles of the convicted persons under criminal procedure and the suspects. After conducting the profiling and confirming the DNA profiles in the LIMS system, the results and documents are to be transmitted electronically to the Laboratory of DNA Database Management within the Department of Genetics. These profiles assist law enforcement agencies in identifying perpetrators, linking multiple crime scenes, and resolving missing person’s cases.

The department performs nearly 32-40 thousand DNA Profiling annually.

Furthermore, the department carries out paternity testing and makes DNA reports for the courts to assist the justice system. DNA testing provides stronger results whether they are inclusions, exclusions, or inconclusive lending to a greater confidence in the justice system.

Additionally, DNA testing has played a significant role in the future of this science due to it’s reliability, this is true justice and this is the type of justice.

Head of the Department of Genetics:

Ágota Dobos
Department of Genetics
director, forensic geneticist

In the Department of Physics and Chemistry forensic physicists, chemists, botanists and geologists investigate a wide range of organic and inorganic material residues with non-human origin. Furthermore physicists do answer questions connected to theoretical problems also such as case reconstructions (way of human body’s falling). Chemists are involved in building of national databases and spectrum libraries (dyes, fibres, paints etc.) as well.

Our well trained and experienced forensic scientists analyze the scientific evidences on special analytical instruments, such as microscopes, GRIM3, SEM, SEM-EDS, Micro-XRF analyzer, FTIR and Raman microscopes.

Units:

• Laboratory of Forensic Geology and Botany
• Laboratory of Microtraces
• Laboratory of Forensic Physics and Inorganic Analysis

Quality assured activities (forensic examinations of evidences listed below):

• paints
• fibres and textiles
• human and animal hairs
• glasses
• metals
• gunshot residues (GSR)

Other evidence types:

• plastics,
• vehicle bulbs,
• Earth (soils, rocks, sediments, etc.) and building materials,
• plant fragments,
• chemicals with unknown compounds,
• oils, rubbers, glues,
• dyes, print cartridges, inks, seals.

Head of the Department of Physics and Chemistry:

Judit Sándor
Department of Physics and Chemistry
director, forensic chemist and botanist

The Section for Polygraph Examination, together with investigative authorities carries out polygraph testing regarding crime cases and administrative proceedings based on court- or prosecution-assignment.

Polygraph testing helps the assigning authorities in reconnaissance of crime cases by identifying the perpetrator, clarifying the connection of the witness, suspect or victim with the crime case itself, furthermore, by inspecting the reality content of their statements.

Head of the Section for Polygraph Examination:

Éva Tóth pol. lieutenant colonel
Section for Polygraph Examination
head of department

The Department of Forensic Toxicology - the first of its kind in Europe - was established in 1872 to pursue investigations in the field of forensic toxicology. Its mission has remained unchanged since, in particular the qualitative and quantitative measurement of drugs, psychoactive compounds, pharmaceuticals and various poisons by methods of analytical chemistry from biological samples from the living and deceased. The examination of poisons of animal origin, fungal toxins, compounds of heavy  metals or radioactive compounds, as well as of endogenous substances (enzymes, hormones) is not part of the scope of duties of the institute. In all cases the results of a so-called "screen" examination are validated or ruled out by a dadicated, high-sensitivity measurement.

15 laboratories and various service units are available for this purpose. The measurements are mostly performed with high-end instruments featuring automatic sample feeders (GC-FID and GC-NPD, HPLC-DAD, GC-MS, HPLC-MS, UHPLC-MSMS, GC-MSMS, automatic SPE sample preparation).

Expert investigations take place in around 10.000-11.000 cases annually by mandate of the authorities (police, courts, prosecutor's office).

Head of the Department of Forensic Toxicology

Dr. Gábor Süvegh
Department of Forensic Toxicology
director, forensic chemist