It might seem like minute detail, but put together, the detail documents a scene of great violence and, often, the last moments of a life. That's just what it was like one day in 2016 in Melbourne’s south-east. Crime Scene Unit Sergeant Tracy Starr had been called to a job at a suburban brick home. Sergeant Starr has been to her fair share of scenes just like this one. Her first job was the 1992 cold-blooded murders of three country students in Burwood. She had also seen the horrific end results of serial killers Paul Denyer and Bandali Debs. Hopefully what I'm doing is helping the investigation and helping the family get the right person. Sergeant Tracy Starr, Victoria Police

When Sergeant Starr arrived at the pale brick house in Bentleigh, she had already been told by the police who first responded that there was the body of an elderly woman in the bedroom. There was a lot of blood where she lay, and not a lot in the rest of the house. “There were just a few odd things that were there ... the back door was open, there was no damage to the back door, and different things throughout the house – some gloves, a stained knife,” she said. Sergeant Starr said deciphering the blood splatter pattern in the bedroom was “way beyond” her expertise, and there were also obvious surfaces to fingerprint, so she called in two of Victoria Police’s unsworn forensic staff: biologist Bianca Laan and fingerprint expert Nicole. To have the three female forensic officers at the one job is unusual in what had been the male-dominated field of forensics. When Sergeant Starr started in the crime scene unit, she was the only woman there. Now, there are 15 at the unit, and the number of female unsworn scientists such as Ms Laan and Nicole far outweigh the men.

The trio are talking as a part of a wider push from Victoria Police to not only recognise the work of their female forensic officers, but to encourage more women to join the force following a 2015 human rights report that exposed significant gender disparity. Biologist Bianca Laan, Sergeant Tracey Starr and fingerprint expert Nicole. Credit:Jason South Not that this was at the front of their minds when they were in the house in Melbourne's south-east. Ms Laan, an expert in analysing blood stains, zeroed in on the bedroom and, afterwards, Nicole began dusting for prints. Fingerprints left on a car at the scene were of interest, so Nicole collected them and passed on to homicide detectives. “Even though we work for the police, we have to be mindful that we are an impartial witness,” Ms Laan said.