In Puerto Rico, there is a hidden problem in cases of domestic violence. A restraining order given by a Legal Court is an important step in the protection of physical violence and abuse. Part of this legal process involves having the proper documentation of bruises. That’s where it gets complicated, since most bruises don’t show up until a few days later after an attack. Since time is of essence when bringing an attacker to justice, some legal jurisdictions and agencies in Puerto Rico are using Alternative Light Sources (ALS) to reveal bruises that are invisible to the naked eye. However, the current ALS technology has proven ineffective for victims with darker skin. Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, the first established shelter for victims of domestic violence in Puerto Rico wants to create awareness and for the government to take action to protect these victims from racial discrimination.

A series of new measures have been introduced by the Puerto Rico Justice Department since the launching of the “Invisible Bruises” campaign including new training and guidelines for the Police Department and Forensic Nurses in Hospitals when filing their reports of bruises on victims with darker skin.

Now is mandatory to have a forensic expert present to photograph the bruises for later use as legal evidence.

The University of Puerto Rico School of Engineering in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Department of Forensic Science is now developing new technology to improve the Alternate Light Source Crime Scope CS-16 500W system currently used by the Police Department and Forensic Nurses in Hospitals when documenting bruises on women with dark skin.