The mixed history of identity parades
A controversial detective practice
As I’m sure you know by now (as I keep mentioning it!), my doctoral research was on the Science of Sleuthing, and there are many historical investigative practices which I am still studying, including some which are quite obscure. One is the use of identity parades, and I’ve been compiling a list of cases in which this strategy was used by detective police officers to ‘prove’ that their suspect was in the right place at the right time. However, the way in which they were conducted (and their effectiveness!) differs widely.
From famous cases, such as the Whitechapel murders in 1888, to more regionalised homicide investigations, this practice has been used regularly throughout history. But the similarity stops there. Despite national guidelines, past detectives resorted to leaving a witness alone in a room with a murder suspect, relying on identification of clothing, and even requiring a victim to identify their possible attacker from their hospital bed. This variety in practice has led to some interesting, and mixed, outcomes, and it offers another fascinating insight into historical detective policing.
