Journal of forensic and legal medicine最新文献

{"title":"Sex estimation from the variables of talocrural joint by using machine learning algorithms","authors":"Abdullah Ray,&nbsp;Gülçin Ray,&nbsp;İbrahim Kürtül,&nbsp;Gamze Taşkın Şenol","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102912","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102912","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study has focused on sex determination from the variables estimated on X-ray images of the talocrural joint by using machine learning algorithms (ML). The variables of the mediolateral diameter of tibia (TMLD) and fibula (FMLD), the distance between the innermost points of the talocrural joint (DIT), the distance between the outermost points of the talocrural joint (DOT), and the distal articular surface of the tibia (TAS) estimated using X-ray images of 150 women and 150 men were evaluated by applying different ML methods. Logistic regression classifier, Decision Tree classifier, K-Nearest Neighbor classifier, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Naive Bayes and Random Forest classifier were used as algorithms. As a result of ML, an accuracy between 82 and 92 % was found. The highest rate of accuracy was achieved with RFC algorithm. DOT was the variable which contributed to the model at highest degree. Except for the variables of the age and FMLD, the other variables were found to be statistically significant in terms of sex difference. It was found that the variables of the talocrural joint were classified with high accuracy in terms of sex. In addition, morphometric data were found about the population and racial differences were emphasized.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102912"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144241279","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":"Bear feeding on carrion – impact of severe damage on decomposition rate and insect succession on carcasses – a case study","authors":"Danuta Kadłub ,&nbsp;Andrzej Górz ,&nbsp;Andrzej Mazur","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102916","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102916","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Knowledge of when insects appear on a carcass and the duration of their presence plays an important role in estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI). Each necrophilous species has different feeding habits and reproductive strategies which determine when it appears on a carcass. However, their presence can be influenced by a number of factors, including extensive post-mortem damage resulting from feeding by scavengers. The present study focuses on the role of invertebrates in the decomposition of a carcass situated in Zakopane, which borders directly on the Tatra National Park. Thus the aim of the study was to assess the impact of post-mortem damage on the species composition of insects on the carcass of a domestic pig (<em>Sus scrofa domesticus</em> L.). Analysis of the changes in insect populations and in the time of individual decomposition processes revealed that such extensive damage affects the decomposition of the carcass, when insects appear on it, and how long they remain, which is important information in forensic entomology. Most of the insect species were shown to appear earlier on the damaged carcass and were present on it for a significantly shorter time.</div><div>Of the 24 species of minimum abundance (N ≥ 4), 14 species appeared at least 24 h earlier on the damaged carcass, while four were observed earlier on the control carcass. The study demonstrates the need to take into account factors such as scavenging by predatory vertebrates in determining post-mortem interval on the basis of decomposition changes and on the basis of insect succession.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102916"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144253834","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":"Analysis of forensic autopsies of elevator accidents: causes and prevention measures","authors":"Mizuki Yamashita ,&nbsp;Kazuhiko Kibayashi ,&nbsp;Ryo Shimada ,&nbsp;Ken-ichiro Nakao","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102909","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102909","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elevator accidents are rare but can cause catastrophic damage, and an analysis of the causes of accidents and preventive measures is necessary. This study analyzed seven deaths from six autopsy cases of accidental elevator deaths that were inspected at a single forensic institution. Four cases occurred during industrial use of the elevator. Two cases occurred during elevator inspection. One case occurred in a home elevator. Three cases were because of human causes and three were owing to mechanical causes of the elevators. All fatalities were caused by severe head or thoracoabdominal injuries and the victims were pronounced dead at the scene or upon hospital arrival. Here, the analysis results indicate that measures are needed to prevent accidents in industrial elevators, elevators undergoing inspections, and home elevators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102909"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271620","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 route to recognition as a specialist in forensic & legal medicine in the UK","authors":"Margaret Stark","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102896","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102896","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102896"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291399","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":"Sexual violence via social media","authors":"Burak Bulut ,&nbsp;Hakan Kar","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Despite the numerous benefits of social media, it has transformed into a platform where adolescents and young adults encounter instances of sexual violence perpetrated by assailants.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The primary goal of our study was to explore the sociodemographic profiles and risk determinants associated with sexual violence among individuals who fell victim to or engaged in sexual assault and harassment facilitated by social media platforms.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A retrospective analysis was conducted on the records of 71 individuals who were victims of sexual violence related to social media and sought assistance at the Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine between the years 2016 and 2020.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The majority of victim were female (95.8 %) and aged between 12 and 19 years (94.4 %). 52 victims encountered their perpetrator via Instagram (50 %) and Facebook (32.7 %). Moreover, Whatsapp (%40) emerged as the prevalent medium for online sexual misconduct. It was noted that in-person meetings typically took place within the initial 90 days of online interaction, coinciding with a high incidence of sexual offenses (57.8 %). The most common diagnosed psychiatric disorders in victims were Acute Stress Disorder (18.3 %) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (16.9 %). Remarkably, all assailants were male, predominantly aged between 14 and 32 years (94.4 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>It is recommended that initiatives focusing on increasing awareness regarding the dangers of sexual violence on social networking platforms be carried out within educational establishments and mass communication channels, particularly targeting adolescents categorized as being at high risk, along with their families.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102908"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144231285","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":"Exploring of the causes and outcomes of therapeutic abortions in the general hospital northern Iran: An old challenge in law and medicine","authors":"Kimia Rasouli ,&nbsp;Marzieh Zamaniyan ,&nbsp;Mohammad Khademloo ,&nbsp;Ali Abbasi ,&nbsp;Zakaria Zakariaei ,&nbsp;Aref Hoseini","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102897","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102897","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Abortion is an issue of critical importance at the intersection of medical science and ethics, as maternal and fetal causes can motivate this practice. A correct understanding of these underlying factors can assist in its prevention through timely diagnosis and treatment. This study aims to investigate the etiological factors and outcomes of legal, therapeutic abortions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective descriptive study was conducted, in which 131 pregnant patients who underwent abortion after obtaining permission from the Forensic Medicine Organization, were referred to a hospital in northern Iran from 2018 to 2022. The relevant patient information was collected and recorded in checklists for analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The average age of the referred patients was 30 ± 7 years, with a mean BMI of 27 ± 6 kg/m², and an average gestational age of 14 ± 3 weeks. Therapeutic abortion was attributed to 43 cases involving maternal factors, with cardiovascular complications being the most prevalent cause. Furthermore, 97 cases were associated with fetal factors, among which the most common causes were chromosomal abnormalities, nervous system disorders, and thalassemia major; accounting for 24 cases (18 %), 23 cases (17 %), and 13 cases (9 %), respectively. In 70 % of cases, the treatment was simultaneous administration of misoprostol and curettage.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The findings of the study highlight the importance of education and public awareness about the legal, ethical, and medical consequences of terminating a pregnancy, particularly among pregnant mothers who undergo therapeutic abortion with permission from the Forensic Medicine Organization. This may be an effective way to reduce the rate of abortion and its associated complications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102897"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144204409","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":"Ear-ly Warnings: The diagnostic accuracy of Frank's sign in fatal coronary artery disease – A forensic pathology study","authors":"T.M. Pangel ,&nbsp;I. Mentoor ,&nbsp;D. Mashishi ,&nbsp;Z. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102899","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102899","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Globally, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death. The mortality burden is rising in South Africa, imposing significant socioeconomic strain. In 1973, it was postulated that Frank's sign could serve as a cutaneous marker for CAD, enabling early, cost-effective, and non-invasive diagnosis with the timeous implementation of secondary preventative measures. However, its reliability as a diagnostic marker remains uncertain, and clinicians have not incorporated it into routine examinations. Given this uncertainty in the clinical context, post-mortem findings can be correlated with confirmed diagnoses in the forensic setting, which offers a unique opportunity to assess the potential association between Frank's sign and underlying CAD. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Frank's sign and CAD in a deceased population in a forensic pathology mortuary.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted over three weeks on all cases of unnatural deaths involving decedents aged 12 years and older at the Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Services Mortuary in Cape Town, South Africa. The study included 100 decedents (80 males, 20 females) with a median age of 35 [28.0–48.8] years. The presence of a diagonal earlobe crease—also known as Frank's sign—was assessed and graded using a standardized grading system ranging from Grade 0 to Grade 3.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The prevalence of Frank's sign was 27 %, and the prevalence of CAD was 28 %. Frank's sign was significantly associated with fatal CAD (p &lt; 0.001), demonstrating high specificity (86.1 %) and negative predictive value (84.9 %) but relatively low sensitivity (60.7 %) and positive predictive value (63 %). The likelihood ratios were 4.366 (LR+) and 0.456 (LR-). Global measures of diagnostic accuracy, including the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve and area under the curve (0.76), diagnostic odds ratio (9.567), diagnostic effectiveness (0.79), and Youden's Index (0.468), suggest that Frank's sign has only fair discriminative power in detecting fatal CAD.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The absence of Frank's sign may be useful in excluding CAD mortality; however, its presence is not a reliable indicator for diagnosing the disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102899"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144221082","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":"Expert reports for credibility assessments in case of sexual abuse allegations in the Swiss judicial context: A retrospective study of the socio-demographic, clinical and forensic characteristics of the cases and the appropriate use of the Statement Validity Analysis","authors":"Emilie Wouters ,&nbsp;Lauriane Constanty ,&nbsp;Sébastien Urben ,&nbsp;Jacques Gasser","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><div>According to the literature, around one in five minors report sexual abuse. In these cases, judges often request credibility assessments, at best using the Statement Validity Analysis (SVA), to evaluate these testimonies. However, no studies have explored the characteristics of minors subject to a credibility assessment in the Swiss judicial context and the appropriate use of the SVA which was our twofold objective.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>We retrospectively examined 75 expert reports conducted between 2000 and 2020 in the Vaud canton, Switzerland, involving 71 minors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The majority of the expert reports concern girls (76 %). The average age of the minors was 8 years (SD = 3.36). The allegations mainly concerned sexual violence within family (74.6 %) with repeated incidents (83.1 %). Despite a family context often marked by domestic violence (63.4 %), many children showed no symptoms of post-traumatic stress (50.7 %) and had mentioned the facts before the police hearing (56.3 %). 54.7 % of the expert reports concluded that the testimonies were credible. However, only 35 expert reports (46.7 %) seem to comply with the SVA recommendations. Over the years, we observed a more appropriate use of the SVA.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>First, we identified the socio-demographic, clinical and forensic characteristics of minors alleging sexual abuse and needing a credibility assessment from the judge's point of view. Second, the practice of credibility assessments requested in the judicial context often seems to lack scientific rigor. However, this study also highlights the improvement in the use of the SVA across the year.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102900"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144185222","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":"Analysis of demographics, examination findings and the social circumstances of paediatric sexual assault cases at a public hospital in Saint Lucia","authors":"Lashorn Christian ,&nbsp;Adwalia Fevrier ,&nbsp;Riana Dos Santos ,&nbsp;Oluwayomi Olugbuyi","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102898","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102898","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Child sexual assault (CSA) complainants face profound emotional pain. Sexual assault (SA) is often underreported for several reasons. Furthermore, delays in the reporting increase the difficulty in confirming its occurrence. CSA profiles are affected by demographics, social culture and institutional factors.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to determine the prevalence, demographics, examination and social circumstances of CSA cases referred at a public hospital in Saint Lucia.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A retrospective study was conducted which examined the demographics, examination findings and social circumstances of CSA complainants referred to the paediatric department between July 01, 2021, and June 30, 2023.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were 67 complainants of CSA analysed with a prevalence of 14.6 unique cases/1000 Emergency Room paediatric visits. There was a female predominance of 65 (97.0 %) complainants. The main age group of CSA cases affected occurred mainly in the 11–15 age group (59.7 %), mostly by a known perpetrator (73.1 %) i.e. a neighbour (44.9 %). The younger the complainant (0–5 years), the shorter the interval from incident to medical evaluation compared to older complainants (p-value &lt;0.05). Genitourinary signs of trauma were notable when medically examined within the first 14 days.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>CSA was more prominent in female adolescents (11–15 years), and often done by a known perpetrator. Medical evaluation was delayed in the older age groups. Signs of genitourinary trauma were not always found on examination, and therefore forensic investigations for DNA will need to support the evidence in CSA cases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102898"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144261578","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":"Decoding ant activity patterns in a rare anesthetic drug fatality: A case report","authors":"Nirmal Nagar ,&nbsp;Ayesha Goyal ,&nbsp;Binaya Kumar Bastia ,&nbsp;Yatiraj Singi ,&nbsp;Dipen Dabhi ,&nbsp;Kirti Nagar","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102901","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Postmortem activity by necrophagous insects, particularly ants, usually produces yellowish, hard, small excoriated skin lesions with serpiginous margins that lack bleeding. However, in rare cases, they can cause extensive bleeding and produce unusual skin lesions, particularly in deaths due to asphyxia, which may raise suspicion of foul play. This can also make it difficult to differentiate between postmortem and antemortem injuries during forensic examinations.</div></div><div><h3>Case presentation</h3><div>A 26-year-old Indian male anaesthesiology resident was found dead in his hostel room, having allegedly self-administered a lethal dose of propofol following his night shift. The autopsy revealed numerous small, irregular lesions with serpiginous margins and extensive postmortem bleeding on the exposed areas of the body, displaying patterns that were unusual for typical ant activity.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>The observed bleeding patterns, including droplet, stripe, and pool formations, as well as their combinations, are influenced by factors such as the cause of death, blood fluidity, body position, pooling of blood, and ant species. In this case, these patterns initially raised suspicions of foul play. However, a thorough postmortem examination by expert forensic pathologists, who had prior knowledge of such findings, and the exclusion of any external or internal injuries led to the conclusion that the lesions resulted from postmortem ant activity rather than antemortem trauma.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This case report examines the various patterns and forensic challenges associated with postmortem ant activity in a death caused by asphyxia due to a fatal propofol overdose.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 102901"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166219","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}