Sharp force violence is a common way of committing assault in numerous countries and regions around
the world. When a stabbing occurs, the clothing worn by the victim may provide vital evidence: for
example the weapon used to stab the victim may be identified from severance in the clothing. However,
whether laundering the clothing after an attack affects the severance morphology of the fabric and fibres,
and whether identification of the weapon is possible from the severance in the clothing after laundering
is not known. This study focussed on the effect of laundering 100% cotton twill weave (drill) and single
jersey (knit) fabrics. Specimens had been pre-treated and stabbed with either a kitchen knife or a Phillips
screwdriver. These specimens were photographed and were again laundered for one wash cycle before
being photographed again. Ten expert judges compared the photographs taken before and after
laundering. A difference in the appearance of the fabrics before and after laundering was evident. The
morphology of the fabric and fibres thus would be expected to differ after laundering the clothing,
making identification of a weapon used to stab through clothing more difficult.