7: Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is a discipline within forensic science that deals with the examination, identification, interpretation and evaluation of bloodstains. Because there is a direct requirement for blood, BPA is inextricably linked to violent crime. The development of bloodstain patterns is based on blood dynamics, and by understanding how blood behaves in different scenarios, it becomes possible to not only establish the activities that may have caused them, but also to evaluate who may have been involved at the time. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the different bloodstain pattern types and the mechanisms by which they are generated, and introduces a framework that supports the robust evaluation of BPA evidence.