Journal of forensic and legal medicine最新文献

{"title":"Navigating the complex terrain of childhood sexual assault allegations: Mimics of sexual assault in the paediatric population","authors":"La-Toniá Arthur","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reports of sexual assault are inherently distressing for all parties involved, and this emotional burden intensifies when the victim is a child.</div><div>Encountering a potential case of sexual assault, coupled with the complexity of childhood memory and communication, creates a challenging diagnostic landscape. Untrained or inexperienced physicians may misdiagnose or over-diagnose cases of childhood sexual assault, inadvertently triggering a cascade of mental and emotional distress for all parties involved. This paper examines the mimics of sexual assault. It sheds light on the critical need for sensitivity, education, and support for healthcare professionals and their patients when dealing with childhood sexual assault allegations, ultimately aiming to reduce the risk of misdiagnosis and the emotional anguish that can follow. In addition, with the greater than 10-year backlog in sexual assault cases waiting to be tried in Barbados, the child may be an adult by the time a trial occurs and this skews the process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102880"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124485","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":"Knowledge, attitudes & practices of urgent care providers in Barbados regarding forensic cases and evidence collection","authors":"La-Toniá Arthur","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Emergency room (ER) urgent care professionals (UCPs) are often the first point of contact for cases inclusive of intimate partner violence, blunt trauma, penetrating trauma and sexual assault. These are potential forensic cases which put UCPs in contact with forensic evidence. UCPs care for both victims and perpetrators of a crime. It is important for UCPs to provide healthcare and be able to take actions when they encounter evidence that can be useful in a forensic investigation. In Barbados between 2019 and 2020 there were 36,833 emergency room visits, an average of 20 cases/year (0.05 %) were identified as forensic (1). The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge, behaviours, and attitudes of UCPs in ERs in Barbados regarding forensic science and evidence in order to put meaningful interventions in place.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>UCPs were recruited from a convenience sample from public and private ERs using a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. 105 UCPs met the inclusion criteria, they practiced in six ERs. The highest percentage of participants were doctors and nurses. UCPs who met the inclusion criteria were surveyed using a four-part questionnaire on demographics, knowledge, behaviours and attitudes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The average knowledge score of participants was 68 %. The highest mean knowledge scores were among doctors and nurses. The lowest knowledge score was on “what is forensic evidence”. On behaviours, 13 % accurately evaluated patients as potential forensic cases, 76.5 % of participants answered “never” to use of tamper evident bags and 90.6 % said their ER did not have evidence kits/trolleys, 13.3 % had received courtroom testimony training. Concerning attitudes 39 % of the respondents believed that victims and perpetrators deserve equal care, 68 % believed that victims have a right to refuse care and 67 % believed that forensic evidence was important in their practice.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Participants showed adequate knowledge about what forensic evidence means and how it can be applied to practice. Absence of evidence kits in the ER impacts visibility to UCPs. There is need for training in their use and what their presence implies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"113 ","pages":"Article 102879"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134569","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}

{"title":"Feminicide: ideology and losing sense of proportion?","authors":"Alain Braillon","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102874","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 102874"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143807997","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}