This study aimed to investigate the case linkage principles, behavioural consistency and distinctiveness, with a sample of serial car thieves. Target selection, acquisition and disposal behaviours, as well as geographical and temporal behaviours, were examined. The effects of temporal proximity and offender expertise were also investigated as moderating factors of behavioural consistency. As in previous case linkage research, geographical and some target selection behaviours were able to predict whether crimes pairs are linked or unlinked at a statistically significant level. Crucially, it was also found that temporal behaviours demonstrate a significant capability to predict linkage status, a variable which has never before been applied to the prediction of linkage in serial car theft. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that changing the operationalisation of the behavioural domains can affect the results obtained. No support was found for the moderation of behavioural consistency based on temporal proximity or expertise. Overall, the results support previous case linkage studies, furthering their practical applicability within the criminal justice system.3

This research report explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Kenya. The research entailed conducting interviews across the 47 counties of Kenya, including in informal settlements, to document sexual violence and other violations of adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research findings suggest three main impacts of the COVID-19 emergency on SGBV: 1. Emergency measures are exacerbating the vulnerability of children and women; The socio-economic impact of the crisis has increased tensions within households, with reports of physical violence and increased homelessness for women; and 3. Vulnerability to violence has been amplified across the population as a whole according to reports by human rights actors, with there being numerous incidents of death and injuries caused by the police while enforcing the COVID-19 emergency measures put into place. Policy recommendations are offered.

Crime linkage has been the subject of increasing attention in academic research. Research has found support for the principles of behavioural consistency and distinctiveness, which underpin crime linkage, but this does not provide direct evidence as to whether crime linkage is useful in practice. This literature review draws together documentation that refers to the practice of crime linkage, from assessing analysts' efficacy, to discussing the usage of computerised tools to assist with the linkage process, to providing a comprehensive outline of the process itself. The implications of the amount and type of information currently available are discussed, including the variations in practice and terminology that were explored. Avenues for future investigation and the manner in which future research could be conducted are set out in a research agenda.

Police interviews gather detailed information from witnesses about the perpetrator that is crucial for solving crimes. Research has established that interviewing witnesses immediately after the crime maintains memory accuracy over time. However, in some contexts, such as in conflict settings and low-income countries, witness interviews occur after long delays, which decreases survivors’ access to vital services and justice. We investigated whether an immediate interview via a mobile phone application (SV_CaseStudy Mobile Application, hereafter MobApp) developed by the Kenyan Survivors of Sexual Violence Network preserves people’s memory accuracy over time. Participants (N = 90) viewed a mock burglary and were then interviewed either immediately using MobApp or MobApp+ (which included additional questions about the offender’s behaviour) and again one week later (n = 60), or solely after a one-week delay (n = 30). We found that memory accuracy one week later was higher for participants immediately interviewed with MobApp or MobApp+ compared to those interviewed solely after a one-week delay. Additionally, memory accuracy was maintained for those interviewed with the mobile application across the one-week period. These findings indicate that the mobile phone application is promising for preserving memory accuracy in contexts where crimes are reported to the police after a delay.

Although poor renal function reduces clearance of dihydrocodeine in man, and renal impairment occurs with ageing, no significant differences occurred in the handling of single doses of dihydrocodeine between elderly patients and young, normal subjects. After multiple dosing, the maximum concentration was significantly different between the groups, being higher in the elderly. The increase in the area under the curve in the elderly was 25% greater than in the young on chronic therapy. This difference was not statistically significant, but was likely to be of clinical significance. The elderly patients' mean creatinine clearance (61.8 ml per min) was significantly lower than that in the young (137 ml per min), and there was a significant correlation between the half-life at single dosing and the blood urea concentration. Variability in all measurements was marked in both groups, and hence no clear guidelines can be given on therapeutic dosing. The small initial dose with alterations thereafter depending on clinical effect is the best advice.