Scent Identification Line-ups Using Trained Dogs in the Netherlands

Scent identification line-ups have been in use as a forensic tool in a number of European countries since the beginning of this century. The basic idea of identifications by dogs is generally the same in these countries: a trained dog matches the scent collected at a crime scene to the scent of a person suspected of this crime. However, there are also some marked differences between countries, particulary in respect to method and experimental set-up. This presentation will focus on the way the identifications are performed in the Netherlands. In the past few years some scientific work has been done addressing some of the “hot points”. The most important results will be presented, and their consequences for the way in which the line-ups are performed now will be shown. Time permitting, a video of a Dutch scent identification line-up will serve as illustration.