PECULIARITIES OF CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION OF THE SCENE DURING THE PRE-TRIAL INVESTIGATION OF CRIMES RELATED TO ARMED AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE

Abstract

The article highlights the theoretical and practical issues regarding the inspection of the scene during the pre-trial investigation of crimes related to armed aggression against Ukraine, given the need to develop an unified approach to the actions of law enforcement officers at the initial stage of the pre-trial investigation of such crimes. It has been proven that the inspection of the scene of the incident is an urgent and priority investigative (research) action, the quality of which depends on the effectiveness of the pre-trial investigation of crimes related to armed aggression against Ukraine. The tactics of this investigative (search) action have been presented by forensic recommendations on the specifics of its conduct at each of the stages – preparatory, working and final. It has been established that the composition of the investigative-operational group is determined taking into account the object that is the scene of the incident, its borders and the likely number of traces, the method of committing a crime related to armed aggression against Ukraine. The composition of the investigative-operational group includes: 1) an investigator or several investigators; 2) employee of the operational unit; 3) specialists, which can be an employee of the explosives service, a specialist in the use of rocket forces and artillery, as well as in military aviation, forensic specialists, a forensic medical expert, a specialist in weapons, ammunition fragments. If necessary, other participants may be involved in the inspection of the scene: sappers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, dog handlers with search dogs, a military (local guide), a property valuer, morgue workers or volunteers who will deliver corpses of examined persons, and persons (volunteers) who will carry out work on excavating graves. The roles of the members of the investigative-operational group during the inspection of the scene of the incident have been formulated. Attention has been focused on the security component of the inspection of the scene of the incident, as it is allowed only after confirmation by relevant specialists (explosive technicians/sammers) of the absence of dangerous explosive materials on the territory of the inspection site. Since the main means of recording the inspection of the scene of the incident is a detailed display of its course and results in the corresponding protocol, the approximate content of such protocol and its appendices has been determined.