The Treasure-Awaiting Development with Cases from the World: Forensic Linguistics as “Linguistic Fingerprint” Examiner
Forensic linguistics, a sub-branch of forensic science, investigates crime through written and oral evidence by following certain linguistic analysis and measurement methods. Forensic linguistics is a crime-solving field that is yet to be improved within the boundaries of our country; moreover, each step concerning this field is essential to protect the rights of our citizens and ensure justice in our country. This study, which was conducted using the document review method, has been penned to emphasize the importance and value of analysis methods of forensic linguists in crime and crime-solving by introducing forensic linguistics. In this study, real cases enlightened through forensic linguistics methods are mentioned and exemplified to reveal the importance and necessity of the field.
Gelişmeyi Bekleyen Hazine: Dünyadan Örneklerle “Dilsel Parmak İzi” İncelemecisi Adli Dilbilim
Adli dilbilim, suçun yazılı ve sözlü deliller yolu ile incelenmesini sağlayan, söz konusu incelemeyi bir takım dilbilimsel analiz ve ölçüm yöntemi ile gerçekleştiren bir adli bilimler dalıdır. Adli dilbilim, ülkemiz sınırlarında henüz gelişmeyi bekleyen bir suç araştırma alanıdır ve alana dair atılacak her türlü adım, ülkemiz vatandaş haklarının korunması ve adaletin sağlanması için elzemdir. Doküman inceleme yöntemi kullanılarak yapılan bu çalışma, adli dilbilimin tanımını yaparak adli dilbilimcilerin gerçekleştirdiği analiz yöntemlerinin suç ve suç incelemesi kapsamında önemini ve değerini vurgulamak için kaleme alınmıştır. Çalışmada, adli dilbilimsel yöntemler kullanılarak aydınlatılan gerçek vaka örnekleri verilerek alanın önem ve gerekliliği gözler önüne serilmek istenmiştir.
Forensic science is a completely important field that investigates and enlightens a case described as “crime” by the law. It aims to understand and reveal the reasons for the crime, the way it occurred and its results, and to specify the victims and perpetrators of the crime. Therefore, at the very end, with several scientific disciplines used during the investigation, the field of forensic science becomes an important part of justice. Forensic science is a multidisciplinary field, which means that it creates an environment that combines the medical sciences, life sciences, and social sciences. Forensic linguistics is one of the most important and outstanding branches of forensic science, and it focuses on language and investigates crime through written and oral evidence. While doing this, forensic linguistics uses different linguistic analysis and measurement methods (Olsson, 2008).
This study aimed to underline the global importance and necessity of forensic linguistics. In this study the document review method was used and some extremely important cases that are clearly linked to forensic linguistics were mentioned in order to demonstrate how forensic linguistics is used for investigating a case and, more importantly, to show why forensic linguistics is necessary. As declared by European Court of Human Rights, contracting states have to make an effective investigation when one of the rights mentioned in European Convention on Human Rights is violated. This is why it is an obligation for a contracting state to use all types of searches and investigations to find and punish the violator (Bilge, 2014).
When the obligation of effective investigation is considered, it is well-understood that all the branches of forensic science are important, including forensic linguistics. An analysis made on DNA, investigation on ballistics, finger print, handwriting, and autopsy may be thought to involve the most prominent evidence (Lininger, 2005). For instance, any body fluid or skin and hair sample found in a crime scene may be considered as primal evidence, since a DNA profile can be constituted using them. These types of evidence are thought to be indisputably real and informative because of this DNA issue (Doğan-Alakoç, 2010). Although they may be indisputably real, there are also important examples, which indicate that they may misguide the investigators. One of these examples, as clearly stated by Sevil Atasoy (2013), is the autopsy of Münevver Karabulut whose tragic death left an enormously great mark on citizens of Turkey. However, the results of her autopsy became more tragic due to contamination during her autopsy, and this issue signifies the necessity and importance of different investigation methods, since it confirms that DNA, although seen as one of the primary evidence, may sometimes become confounding. This is why making an extensive investigation is compulsory, especially when criminal cases are present.
Therefore, more attention must be paid on forensic linguistics, since it is another investigation method for those dealing with a criminal case. In order to signify the necessity of forensic linguistics, this study provides different cases that highlight the usage of forensic linguistics. First, a study created by Sudjana ve Fitri (2013) was mentioned because of the way they discussed the suicide letter written by a world-wide known soloist, guitarist, and song writer of the Nirvana, Kurt Cobain. Through their semantic analysis on this letter of Kurt Cobain, Sudjana ve Fitri (2013) indicated that the truth beneath Kurt Cobain’s death is not murder but suicide. Second, in order to show how profiling is performed by forensic linguistics, a part of linguistic analysis explained by Tim Grant (2013) was shared in this study to demonstrate an example of profiling on a case regarding a married couple named Amanda and Christopher Birks. Lastly, the UNABOMBER case, another well-known case referred by Larner (2014), was explained to add more examples of forensic linguistics analysis method. Taking all these cases together, it can be clearly declared that forensic linguistics is not only a part of linguistics but also a part of justice; and in this sense, it deserves more attention from not only our country, Turkey, but also from all nations of the world.
