NOVE MOGUĆNOSTI FORENZIČKE DIFERENCIJACIJE MONOZIGOTNIH BLIZANACA

Abstract

Processing cases with collected biological traces originating from identical, or monozygotic (MZ) twins, remains a challenge in criminology and simultaneously in criminal justice, given that current genetic technology cannot distinguish between individuals with identical genomes. As the rate of twin births is continuing to grow, it is anticipated that the frequency of forensic samples originating from MZ twins, in cases of criminal offenses, will also increase and result in further unsolved cases due to the lack of cost-effective and accurate forensic methods of DNA analysis for monozygotic twins, which is the fundamental systemic vulnerability of the standardized DNA method. Fortunately, in addition to the traditional forensic approach in providing evidence to identify criminal perpetrators, new tools in genome analysis are opening the door to explore the epigenetic landscape and may provide new biomarkers to the forensic community for challenging samples such as monozygotic twins. Accordingly, this paper aims to critically review DNA expertise and evaluate a new method of monozygotic twins’ identification through DNA analysis, which promises to differentiate them both for forensics and law. In order to prove the claim about the increased rate of twin births, we conducted research with the aim of determining the incidence of twins in the general population, with special reference to the Republic of Serbia. Moreover, in the paper we presented an example from court practice as a case study with a monozygotic twin as a defendant in criminal case.