An interdisciplinary forensic approach in a mummified child with evidence of abuse and neglect.

IF 1.4 4区 医学 Q3 MEDICINE, LEGAL
Forensic Sciences Research Pub Date : 2024-08-14 eCollection Date: 2024-09-01 DOI:10.1093/fsr/owae049
Norbert Moravanský, Soňa Masnicová, Petra Švábová, Roman Kuruc, Branislav Gális, Radoslav Beňuš
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Mummification of corpses with partial skeletonization is not an uncommon occurrence in daily forensic work. Cooperation between different forensic fields is important in these cases in terms of obtaining the most accurate and forensically relevant results, especially when child abuse and neglect is suspected. In Central Europe, up to 21% of children are exposed to physical and psychological harm, which is mostly perpetrated by family members. This report describes a case of subadult female mummified remains in which interdisciplinary forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, and entomology input was needed to obtain legally relevant results. Entomological analysis of the fly and beetle species present served primarily to estimate the postmortem interval. External examination confirmed advanced postmortem decomposition of the body. The anthropological findings based on radiographs and analysis of selected bones confirmed various antemortem fractures and post-traumatic changes involving the ribs, the distal portion of the humerus, the nasal bones, and the anterior portions of the maxilla and mandible. Furthermore, non-specific findings of growth arrest (Harris) lines in the distal metaphysis of the right tibia indicated growth retardation and, overall, child neglect. The autopsy findings confirmed subdural blood coagulum, part of which formed a clearly moulded plaster mass that had originally been attached to the cranial vault up to the internal lamina. The findings indicated a post-traumatic condition as the underlying cause of death in this child. Interdisciplinary forensic analyses confirmed that the child had been repeatedly exposed to violent assaults throughout her lifetime.

Key points: If mummified remains with partial skeletonization of a subadult are found, collaboration among forensic experts is requiredIn this case, dried subdural blood coagulum indicated post-traumatic, non-spontaneous subdural haemorrhagePeriosteal reaction present on the facial bones and distal portion of the humerus was a suspicious findingAnalyses of female subadult remains based on an interdisciplinary approach revealed a syndrome of child abuse and neglect.

采用跨学科法医方法研究有虐待和忽视证据的木乃伊化儿童。
在日常法医工作中,尸体木乃伊化和部分骨骼化的情况并不少见。在这些案件中,不同法医领域之间的合作对于获得最准确、最具法医相关性的结果非常重要,尤其是当怀疑存在虐待和忽视儿童的情况时。在中欧,多达 21% 的儿童受到身体和心理伤害,而这些伤害大多是由家庭成员造成的。本报告描述了一具亚成年女性木乃伊遗骸的案例,在该案例中,需要跨学科的法医病理学、法医人类学和昆虫学投入,才能获得与法律相关的结果。对存在的苍蝇和甲虫物种进行昆虫学分析主要是为了估计死后的间隔时间。外部检查证实尸体已高度腐烂。根据 X 光片和对部分骨骼的分析得出的人类学结论证实,肋骨、肱骨远端、鼻骨以及上颌骨和下颌骨前部存在多处死前骨折和创伤后病变。此外,在右胫骨远端干骺端还发现了非特异性的生长停滞(Harris)线,这表明孩子生长迟缓,而且总体而言,孩子被忽视了。尸检结果证实了硬膜下血凝块,其中部分血凝块形成了一个明显的石膏团块,该石膏团块最初与颅骨穹隆相连,直至内层。这些结果表明,创伤后病症是导致这名儿童死亡的根本原因。跨学科法医分析证实,这名儿童一生中多次遭受暴力袭击:本案中,干硬膜下血凝块表明是创伤后、非自发性硬膜下出血,面骨和肱骨远端出现的骨膜反应是一个可疑的发现。
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来源期刊
Forensic Sciences Research
Forensic Sciences Research MEDICINE, LEGAL-
CiteScore
3.60
自引率
7.70%
发文量
158
审稿时长
26 weeks
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