Journal of forensic and legal medicine最新文献

{"title":"Investigative interviews with individuals who perpetrated sex crimes: A scoping review","authors":"Marta Sousa ,&nbsp;Cláudia Gouveia ,&nbsp;Andreia de Castro-Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Sónia Caridade ,&nbsp;Olga Cunha","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sex crimes (CS) are a global public health problem with profound negative consequences for victims, their families, and society. The perpetrator's testimony is crucial for case outcomes because sexual offenses are frequently underreported, often due to limited evidence and lack of victim testimonies. Therefore, perpetrator investigative interviews play a decisive role in criminal investigations. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and describe evidence-based investigative interview techniques for gathering testimony from SC perpetrators using a structured methodology. Studies were identified through manual reference checking and in five electronic databases: Scopus, B-On, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies focused on rape and child sexual abuse. Five studies presented interview protocols, while three focused on interview techniques that interviewers should employ to elicit more information. It was possible to conclude that both the presented interviews and the techniques share a similar general structure. Clinical, forensic, and criminal implications are elaborated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102889"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Usability of the mandibular gonial angle measured retrospectively from computed tomography sections in sex estimation","authors":"Ender Şenol ,&nbsp;Ramazan Temürkol ,&nbsp;Ahsen Kaya ,&nbsp;Cenk Eraslan","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102891","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102891","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sex estimation is a crucial step in the identification process. This study investigates the forensic potential of the mandibular gonial angle measured on computed tomography (CT) scans for sex estimation. In our study, cranial and maxillofacial images were randomly selected from computed tomography scans with appropriate imaging quality. Cases with maxillofacial morphological deformity, nonadult cases, foreign bodies or motion artifact in radiological images, or a history of surgical intervention due to maxillofacial trauma were excluded. 240 males and 240 females subjects were included in the study. Participants were categorized into three age groups (20–39, 40–59, and 60–80 years) to compare sex-related differences. Statistical analysis was conducted using a two-way fixed-effects ANOVA to evaluate the effects of sex, age group and their interaction on gonial angle measurements. Normality of distributions was confirmed by the Shapiro-Wilk test (p &gt; 0.05) and homogeneity of variances was verified by Levene's test (p &gt; 0.05). The ANOVA revealed statistically significant main effects for sex (p &lt; 0.001) and age group (p = 0.001) as well as a significant interaction effect (p = 0.048). Effect sizes were calculated using partial eta squared, showing a moderate effect for sex (η² = 0.061) and small effects for age group (η² = 0.029) and the interaction (η² = 0.013). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons were performed using Tukey's HSD test. Our findings indicate that female gonial angles are consistently larger than those of males across all age groups. This angular variation as observed in our analysis tends to increase with age. It was also concluded that this increase starts to show statistically significant sexual dimorphism after the age of 40 and that it becomes more dimorphic between the ages of 60–80.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102891"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The washing away of evidence: The effect of different washing treatments on body fluid identification and DNA profiling from stained clothing fabrics","authors":"Francisco Medina-Paz ,&nbsp;María Josefina Castagnola ,&nbsp;Vasilisa Yukhno ,&nbsp;Dayanara Ulloa ,&nbsp;Christian Stadler ,&nbsp;Gabriela Roca ,&nbsp;Sara C. Zapico","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102893","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102893","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Body fluids like blood, saliva, and semen are commonly found during investigations of crimes like homicides and sexual assaults. The identification of the biological fluid is valuable for the investigation of criminal cases to identify the perpetrator, being often decisive for the court's decision. Aware of the latter, suspects often clean their bodies and clothes after committing a crime to alter the evidence or avoid its detection. Little is known about the extent of serological testing of clothing fabric samples stained with body fluids after they have been washed. Most efforts regarding the identification of body fluids from washed clothes have been directed mostly towards the use of alternative light techniques and/or chemical assays, on the assumption that washing destroys or reduces to undetectable levels the concentration of components that serological samples use as an indicator to confirm the identity of a fluid. From another part, even though it has been demonstrated previously that DNA can be recovered from clothing laundered after the deposition of some body fluids, cleaned items are not routinely analyzed for DNA profiling. Herein, the present work shows the evaluation of the effect of four different washing treatments on 1) body fluid identification using immunochromatographic tests; 2) the yield of human DNA extraction; and 3) the integrity of the generated genetic profiles; on three types of body fluids, two volumes, and three common types of fabric. Our results demonstrate that machine–laundering cotton, denim, and polyester, even if no detergent is used, reduces the concentration of the major components from blood, saliva, and semen making difficult the identification of the protein related to the body fluids identification by using immunochromatographic tests when fluids volume is lower than 50 μL. Importantly, for small volumes of body fluid used in this evaluation it was possible to isolate human DNA from blood–, saliva– and semen–stained cotton and denim fabric with quality and quantity good enough to obtain partial and even full STR profiles. Both washed and unwashed samples showed no correlation between LFI band intensity results and human DNA concentration. Our results suggest that body fluid identification and genetic profiling can still be performed after clothes with small stains are washed and discusses a protocol that is applicable to real-case scenarios by considering body fluids volumes, and washing treatments that simulate what would be found in common crime cases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102893"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143943030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A child fatality as a result of electric shock while Urinating: an example of a rare penis injury","authors":"Ahmet Sedat Dündar ,&nbsp;İsmail Altın","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><div>This report presents the case examination of a 23-month-old male who died as a result of electric shock after urinating on a 3-way electric socket. It was aimed to contribute to the literature with this case of an extremely rarely seen atypical electricity entry wound in the penis.</div></div><div><h3>Case</h3><div>Seasonal agricultural workers were living together with their families in a tent in a field in the province of Şanlıurfa, on the border of Türkiye with Syria. It was learned that the 23-month-old male child was found lying motionless on the ground on July 17, 2022, due to electric shock as a result of urinating on a 3-way electrric socket in the tent. The child was pronounced dead in the hospital and was transferred to our centre for a medicolegal autopsy to be performed. In the autopsy, an electricity entry wound was determined on the 2nd finger of the right hand and in the periurethral region at the tip of the penis. The histopathological examination of samples taken from these wounds determined findings consistent with electric shock and the consequent thermal effect.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>There is a need for more widespread education to increase the awareness of parents about the prevention of accidents originating from electrical systems set up in temporary living areas such as tents without sufficient safety precautions having been taken. It can be considered that deaths will be able to be reduced in Türkiye with increased inspections of those who have to live in tents for various reasons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102878"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prognostic value of hepatorenal markers to predict mortality in Paraquat Poisoning: a meta-analysis and retrospective validation","authors":"Harsimran Kaur ,&nbsp;A.S. Prathiksha ,&nbsp;Aieshel Serafin Johnson ,&nbsp;Muhammed Rashid ,&nbsp;Vijayanarayana Kunhikatta ,&nbsp;Pooja Gopal Poojari ,&nbsp;Shankar M. Bakkannavar ,&nbsp;Jayaraj Mymbilly Balakrishnan ,&nbsp;Girish Thunga","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102877","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102877","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102877"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patterns of suicide by jumping from height in Northern Tunisia: a 16-year autopsy study","authors":"Ikram Kort ,&nbsp;Ons Hmandi ,&nbsp;Syrine Azza Manoubi ,&nbsp;Khaled Bchir ,&nbsp;Mohamed Bellali ,&nbsp;Mohamed Allouche","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102881","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102881","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Suicide by jumping from height is a violent and relatively common method of suicide. There is little data on suicide by jumping from height in the Arab region and North African countries. In this study, we aim to analyze the patterns of suicide by jumping from height in Northern Tunisia.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Autopsy records of all cases of suicide by jumping from height were included over a period of 16 years (January 2005 to December 2020). The collected data included epidemiological characteristics, medical history and autopsy observations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>we collected a total of 147 cases of suicide by jumping from height. Among the cases, 69.4 % were men. The average age of the cases was 41.8 <strong>±</strong> 16.4 years (range 15–85 years). A history of psychiatric disorder was reported in 58.5 % of cases. Schizophrenia was the most common psychiatric diagnosis (23.8 %), followed by depression (13.6 %). Among the cases, 27.9 % had a history of previous suicide attempt. The suicidal fall occurred most frequently in a private residence (70.8 %). The average height of the falls was 10.4 ± 7.3 m (range 2–50 m). The most frequent injury site was determined to be the head (70.1 %) followed by the chest (68 %), the spine (56 %). Skeletal trauma mainly included fractures of the ribs (75.5 %), the spine (56 %), the skull (53.5 %) and the pelvis (29.3 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Suicide by jumping from height is most common in young unemployed men, with psychiatric history, who jump from a private residence. This pattern would help planning preventive strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 102881"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143864938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the importance of post-mortem interval and other variables on the analysis of ethanol in the vitreous humour with a focus on ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate: A critical review","authors":"Beatrice Benedetti ,&nbsp;Matteo Marti ,&nbsp;Franco Tagliaro ,&nbsp;Fabio De-Giorgio","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vitreous humour is used to assess intoxication at the time of death due to its anatomical isolation, which reduces contamination risk. Toxicological analysis typically includes drugs and alcohol. For interpreting post-mortem ethanol concentrations, distinguishing between ante-mortem ingestion and post-mortem production from putrefaction is essential. For this purpose, biomarkers like ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS) are crucial for confirming alcohol consumption.</div><div>Factors such as post-mortem interval (PMI), the cause of death, individual characteristics like sex, age, body mass index (BMI), ambient temperature at corpse discovery, and body storage temperature may affect vitreous humour analysis. The present review explores how these factors have been integrated into the current scientific discussion on the quantification of ethanol, EtG and EtS in vitreous humour, and how they ultimately impact the determination of the cause of death.</div><div>Our findings indicate that the PMI is often unspecified in reviewed cases (64 %), and when mentioned, it is under 24 h (17 %). Individual characteristics like sex, age, and BMI are frequently omitted (43 %, 46 %, and 86 %, respectively), and details on ambient and storage temperatures are rarely provided. Although post-mortem alterations in ocular anatomy are well-documented, there are limited studies that report ethanol stability in vitreous humour across various PMIs. For EtG and EtS, no studies have evaluated quantitative changes in vitreous humour in relation to PMI. Despite these data gaps, available studies suggest that age and BMI may influence the analysis of ethanol in cases of alcohol-related deaths, underscoring the need for further research on factors affecting substance levels in vitreous humour.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102876"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143877534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validation of an in-house Dutch Forensic Death Coding system (FDC)","authors":"V. Soerdjbalie-Maikoe ,&nbsp;E.H.W. Hendriks ,&nbsp;H.G.T. Nijs ,&nbsp;I. Alberink ,&nbsp;W.L.J.M. Duijst","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102856","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102856","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), developed by the WHO, is widely used to code and classify causes of death. While it is a suitable system for clinical data, it is not tailored for forensic diagnoses. This article explores the basic principles and methods for classification of cause of death in a forensic setting. An in-house Dutch coding system, the FDC system, was developed in the Netherlands.</div></div><div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To determine the validity and applicability of the FDC system.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The FDC system was used to code 138 deaths based on the forensic autopsy reports of the Netherlands Forensic Institute. This was performed by three investigators (one forensic pathologist and two forensic physicians, all of whom are forensic experts) to compute the inter-investigator agreement using Krippendorff's alpha (kalpha) statistics. To measure the intra-investigator agreement, 46 cases per investigator (for each investigator different cases) were presented twice in random order. The coding system has five parameters: Main category, Subcategory, Other contributing factor category, Mode of death category, and Certainty of death category.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The Krippendorff's alphas (kalphas) for the inter-investigator agreement were as follows: Main category 0.91, Subcategory 0.74, Mode category 0.49 and Certainty category 0.55. Inter-investigator agreement showed high kalpha scores for both Main category and Subcategory.</div><div>There was a good intra-investigator agreement. The kalphas were as follows: Main category 0.95, Subcategory 0.87, Mode category 0.65, and Certainty category 0.78.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The FDC system is an in-house Dutch system that is useful for coding causes of death from a forensic perspective. This system could make the notation of forensic pathologists and forensic physicians less ambiguous, which could improve the understanding of cases by professionals such as public prosecutors, lawyers and judges who have to make decisions based on autopsy reports. In the future, this system could also be used in forensic medicine by forensic physicians and for (forensic) mortality reporting in public health statistics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102856"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143899193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrifying evidence: Ten years of fatal encounters with electricity at Tygerberg mortuary","authors":"Faith Beukes,&nbsp;Zandré Smith,&nbsp;Candice Wilscott-Davids,&nbsp;Ilze Mentoor","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study aimed to determine the prevalence of electrical fatalities in the Eastern Metropole of the City of Cape Town from 2013 to 2022. It explores demographic, geographic, and seasonal patterns, circumstances surrounding death, and pathological findings to understand the nature of these fatalities comprehensively. This study can provide insights to assist governmental agencies in enhancing safety awareness and developing effective strategies to prevent electrical-related fatalities.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective descriptive study was conducted and included all cases of electrocution-related deaths admitted to Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Services Mortuary from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2022.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>One hundred and forty-five cases were included in this study, with an annual prevalence between 0.09 % and 0.76 %. Electrical fatalities mostly occurred in 20-39-year-olds (59.7 %) and children under 10 (17.2 %), with males (88.9 %) predominantly affected. Most incidents occurred in summer (33.8 %) and December (13.10 %), often outdoors, with illegal connections being the main source of electricity. Geographically, Khayelitsha and Mfuleni reported the highest number of cases. Entrance wounds were primarily on the hands, while exit wounds were commonly on the feet and chest. Most fatalities had abrasions (52.8 %), and histopathology revealed streaming of nuclei in the basal layer of the skin and coagulative necrosis as prevalent findings. Most cases were ruled accidental (97.9 %), and medical intervention was needed in 25.5 %.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study reveals the prevalence and descriptive profile of electrical fatalities in the Eastern Metropole of the City of Cape Town, highlighting the urgent need for targeted prevention strategies in identified high-risk areas and during peak times. By improving safety measures and enhancing public awareness, we can effectively reduce these preventable electrical fatalities. A collaborative approach involving governmental agencies, community organizations, and the public is crucial in fostering a safer environment and safeguarding lives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 102875"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143859703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Femicide in Ireland 2012–2023","authors":"Kate McGoldrick ,&nbsp;SallyAnne Collis ,&nbsp;Linda Mulligan","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102858","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 102858"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143859704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}