Investigação de homicídios e o case paraibano: revisão sistemática da literatura em busca de estratégias e procedimentos técnicos para elucidação de homicídios

Abstract

This study analyzes the initial phase of the criminal justice system's process in search of a technical pathway to achieve homicide resolutions. Throughout this process, it examines how the state of Paraíba has acted to reduce the occurrence and increase the violent intentional lethal crime resolutions (CVLIs), based on the Programa Paraíba Unida pela Paz (PPUP) and regulations from the state and the civil police. The significance to Political Science lies in analyzing the state's performance through its coercive institutions, specifically the police, in addressing homicidal violence. This type of violence represents the extreme manifestation of criminal phenomena, negatively impacting the global and creating a real sense of insecurity, for which merely counting deaths is insufficient. The systematic review was based on national and international literature on homicide investigative procedures, aiming to identify elements that guide the clarification. The searches were conducted in five databases: Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, Portal de Periódicos da Capes, and Sage, covering the period from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2022. The research parameters resulted in the selection of 37 articles, analyzed from three perspectives: bibliometric, methodological, and substantive. The results highlighted factors that hinder data comparability, indicating that not all countries possess standardized and comprehensive databases. And, the findings corroborate the theoretical framework by confirming that there is insufficient information from developing countries regarding the factors and extent to which homicide rates are associated with resolution rates. This is due to most research originating in developed countries, such as the United States, which accounted for approximately 46% of the sample selected in the study, with 89% of the articles published in English. The research indicated a balance between qualitative and quantitative approaches, with a focus on database analysis. This supports the researchers' preference for using homicide databases, as they have the best data collection and quality. Moreover, conceptual differences regarding homicide and the clearance rate, which varies according to each jurisdictional system, were identified. Despite these divergences, certain factors warrant dissemination and adapted replication in local contexts. The articles identified multiple elements influencing investigation and crime resolution; however, most did not directly describe investigative procedures. Key elements in investigation and resolution were identified as the analysis of the profile and characteristics of the criminal event, and scientific (forensic) and technological development. Additionally, the theoretical framework used by researchers was analyzed, dividing these elements into four fields: forensic science, technology, procedures, and structure, with a prevalence of specifications in the latter two. And in the case of Paraíba, we found assimilation of some elements identified in the sample, which demonstrates the commitment of public management to achieving the objective of reducing the CVLI and increasing the elucidation rate.