Identifying Criminals (Pt 2)


Speaker verification in crime researchUsing forensic phonetics in identifying criminals (Part 2)
Autor: Dr. Stefan K. Braun

Zeitschrift “Digital Forensics Magazine
Quarterly Magazine for Digital Forensics Practitioners
Published by TR Media UK, 08/2021

Speaking can be seen as a process that converts a statement of the speaking person into spoken language. The first part of the article “Speaker verification in crime research” focused on the characteristics of phonetics and phonology and the possibilities of speech analysis. Certain minimum requirements for the nature of the investigation material are necessary if speaker recognition becomes forensically significant and identification or verification can be accepted in court.

The purpose of disguising the vocal-linguistic behaviour of a speaker is usually to conceal the identity of the speaker and makes the work of the forensic-phonetic expert more difficult. Part 2 of the research text focuses on possible voice disguise and imitation of dialects. Different types of disguise can be categorized, which are assigned to the categories voice tone generation, language and way of speaking. Some peculiarities of the Berlin dialect shall be considered. Spontaneously conducted interviews in order to identify language varieties, idiolectic features or other language characteristics usually do not lead to any usable result. A guideline interview, which can be conducted with suspects, offers concrete, case-related instructions for action. A short forensic perspective completes the article.

JEL Classification: C91, K14, K42, O33

“Published in the Journal Digital Forensic Magazine, Issue 45, Q2/2021, Publication August 2021, pp. 32-37, UK 2021, Reproduction and reprinting only with the prior written consent of the author and the editors.”
ISSN 2042-0609

Digital Forensics Magazine is a quarterly features and news magazine from the world of computer and cyber crime and digital forensics. The content published in the magazine is all technically reviewed and carries a certain weight of quality that other trade magazines or webzines don’t offer.

Online-Publikation (Login)