While profiling and case analysis are familiar in criminal investigations (especially) in the USA, they are a rather new phenomenon in German criminal procedure. When the result of a case analysis is to be introduced into the criminal trial, however, its very nature as investigative tool may come into conflict with evidentiary standards. This becomes clear in cases where its introduction would infringe upon the court's domain of assessing the specific conduct of an alleged crime. In these problematic constellations, principles of the German law of evidence and the interplay of single means of evidence can be observed. Such a case is presented in the following paper. It deals with the current role of case analysis in German criminal procedure, briefly outlines the foundations of German law of criminal evidence, and tries, by inspecting a judgement of the German Federal Court (Bundesgerichtshof), to determine the present and future relevance of case analysis in German evidence law.

Ed. by Callen, Craig R. / Jackson, John D. / Risinger, D. Michael / Dwyer, Deirdre / Pardo, Michael S. / Doran, Sean
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Profiling and Case Analysis in German Criminal Procedure: A Comment on Bundesgerichtshof 3 StR 77/06
Oliver Schüttpelz
1Senior Researcher at the Lichtenberg Professorship of International and Comparative Criminal Law, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany)
Citation Information: International Commentary on Evidence. Volume 6, Issue 1, Pages –, ISSN (Online) 1554-4567, DOI: 10.2202/1554-4567.1070, August 2008
Publication History:
- Published Online:
- 2008-08-05
Keywords: expert evidence; witness evidence; expert witness; evidence application; case analysis; profiling; Germany; BGH 3 StR 77/06


















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