Circumstances to be established when investigating crimes against the life and health of a person committed by members of informal youth groups (associations)
Authors: Shcherbyna S. O. 
Published: February 2025

The article notes that the circumstances to be established in the investigation of crimes against the life and health of a person committed by members of informal youth groups (associations) are a separate section of the relevant forensic methodology. The investigation of criminal manifestations of informal youth is an informational, intellectual and cognitive process and requires the investigator (prosecutor) to perform complex analytical work, which should end with the establishment of all the circumstances of the crime and the bringing of the perpetrators to criminal responsibility.
It is proposed to divide all circumstances that must be established during the investigation of crimes against the life and health of a person committed by members of informal youth groups (associations) into five blocks: 1. Circumstances related to the crime (crimes). This is information about the time, place, method and other circumstances of the crime. It is extremely important to clearly establish the boundaries of the territory where the criminal offense was committed. Quite often, this is a large territory on which houses, buildings, sports facilities, etc. are located. Establishing the method of committing a crime when investigating crimes against the life and health of a person committed by members of informal youth groups (associations) is of extremely important importance, because it is demonstrative in nature and focuses attention on the specifics of the views that the group promotes. 2. The circumstances relating to the organization, activities of the youth informal group (association), its members must be established and thoroughly investigated. These are: when the group (association) was created; who was its organizer (organizers), what is the structure of the group (association): how many links; what is the size of the group (association); how the group (association) changed and transformed; what the members of the youth informal group (association) promote. The guilt of each member of the youth informal group (association), the form of guilt, the motive and purpose of committing the crime (crimes) must be established. 3. Circumstances relating to the victim(s). It should be emphasized that victims of crimes of this category can be both individuals, both male and female. It is necessary to establish the person’s gender, age, race, nationality, religious beliefs, social status, time and cause of death (in case of murder), the degree and nature of the severity of the injuries, why the victim(s) ended up at the scene of the crime, whether there is a connection between the victim(s) and the attackers - members of an informal youth group (association). 4. Circumstances relating to the harm caused by the crime(s). An extremely important component of law enforcement activities during the detection and investigation of crimes committed by members of informal youth associations is the establishment of all criminal consequences. 5. Other circumstances.