MicroScout - an assistance system for histological analysis in forensics

Sexual abuse is a crime with devastating consequences for victims; witnesses are not always available. Allegations against the perpetrator become substantial by physical evidence acquired in forensic medical examinations of victim and suspect. Manually evaluating vaginal swab smears taken from victims is a tedious process, especially when only few spermatozoa are present, possibly obfuscated by epithelial cells. Still, accuracy is of utmost importance since the results may significantly contribute to the legal outcome such cases. To support the evaluation process, MicroScout was developed in collaboration with the Department of Legal Medicine.