Sheffield young crime fighters explore the legal process
Year 8 pupils at Sheffield’s Westbourne School turned crime fighters as they explored the critical role science plays in the modern criminal justice system.
The young sleuths at the Broomhill school stepped into the roles of Scene of Crime Officers and forensic scientists for an immersive, CSI-style Forensic Science event designed to highlight science's vital role in bringing criminals to justice.
The event centred on a mock break-in at the school involving an assault on the caretaker and the theft of several computers.
Suited up in full protective gear of white coveralls, masks, gloves and overshoes, the pupils carefully gathered and logged physical evidence left behind by the suspects.
Moving from the crime scene to the lab, they then conducted a series of analytical tests, including shoe-print identification, ink chromatography, document analysis, and bloodstain pattern analysis.
Bringing the day to a climax, the pupils finally took on courtroom roles from barristers and judges to witnesses and police officers, enabling them to present their findings in a mock trial, where they secured a guilty verdict against the prime suspect.
Westbourne Head of Science and Natural History Dr Anne Twitty said: “Our forensics day is a great example of the way in which we take subjects out of the classroom and bring them to life by placing them in a setting our pupils both understand and enjoy.”