Deborah Buck, Lee D Mulligan, Charlotte Lennox, Jana Bowden, Matilda Minchin, Lowenna Kemp, Lucy Devine, Joshua Southworth, Falaq Ghafur, Catherine Robinson, Andrew Shepherd, Jennifer J Shaw, Katrina Forsyth
{"title":"Developing an initial programme theory for a model of social care in prisons and on release (empowered together): A realist synthesis approach.","authors":"Deborah Buck, Lee D Mulligan, Charlotte Lennox, Jana Bowden, Matilda Minchin, Lowenna Kemp, Lucy Devine, Joshua Southworth, Falaq Ghafur, Catherine Robinson, Andrew Shepherd, Jennifer J Shaw, Katrina Forsyth","doi":"10.1177/00258024241264762","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024241264762","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many people are living in prison with a range of social care needs, for example, requiring support with washing, eating, getting around safely, and/or maintaining relationships. However, social care for this vulnerable group is generally inadequate. There is uncertainty and confusion about who is legally responsible for this and how it can best be provided, and a lack of integration with healthcare. We used realist-informed approaches to develop an initial programme theory (IPT) for identifying/assessing social care needs of, and providing care to, male adults in prison and on release. IPT development was an iterative process involving (a) an initial scoping of the international prison literature; (b) scoping prison and community social care policy documents and guidelines; (c) full systematic search of the international prison social care literature; (d) insights from the community social care literature; (e) stakeholder workshops. Information from 189 documents/sources and stakeholder feedback informed the IPT, which recommended that models of prison social care should be: trauma-informed; well integrated with health, criminal justice, third-sector services and families; and person-centred involving service-users in all aspects including co-production of care plans, goals, and staff training/awareness programmes. Our IPT provides an initial gold standard model for social care provision for people in prison and on release. The model, named Empowered Together, will be evaluated in a future trial and will be of interest to those working in the criminal justice system, care providers and commissioners, local authorities, housing authorities, voluntary groups, and service-users and their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"194-206"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12149453/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141759630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jeremy Ws Hunter, Corinna van den Heuvel, Lilli Stephenson, Lauren Elborough, Roger W Byard
{"title":"Increasing age and lethal opiate use.","authors":"Jeremy Ws Hunter, Corinna van den Heuvel, Lilli Stephenson, Lauren Elborough, Roger W Byard","doi":"10.1177/00258024241266578","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024241266578","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Opioid abuse is a leading cause of drug-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. It has been suggested that the age of opiate users in Australia is rising. To evaluate this further in a local population, toxicology and pathology case files from Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, were examined for all cases with lethal opioid levels from 2000 to 2019 (<i>n</i> = 499; M:F 2.3:1; age range 18-91 years, median age 42 years). The median age of opiate deaths increased significantly by approximately 16 years (<i>p </i>= 0.007, <i>R</i><sup>2 </sup>= 0.34) with a significant increase in total deaths in the 45-54 years and 55-64 years age groups (<i>p </i>= 0.009, <i>R</i><sup>2 </sup>= 0.32) (<i>p </i>= < 0.001, <i>R</i><sup>2 </sup>= 0.54). Deaths due to heroin overdose showed the lowest median age (39 years, <i>n</i> = 184), with deaths from tramadol toxicity having the highest (50.5 years, <i>n</i> = 32). Recent changes in the demographic profile of opioid users in cases of lethal overdose involve an aging population. Forensic and clinical practitioners should be aware of significant opioid abuse in certain individuals at older ages as this raises the possibility that this may exacerbate the effects of age-related chronic diseases in this group and/or contribute to fatalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"216-220"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141759631","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}
Susanna Every-Palmer, Tom Flewett, Oliver Hansby, Elliot Bell
{"title":"A randomised controlled trial of eye movement desensitisation and re-processing (EMDR) in forensic services and in prison.","authors":"Susanna Every-Palmer, Tom Flewett, Oliver Hansby, Elliot Bell","doi":"10.1177/00258024251313739","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024251313739","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"262-263"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143008025","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":"An innovative approach to latent fingerprint development at crime scenes: The cyanoacrylate spraying methodology.","authors":"Yakup Gulekci","doi":"10.1177/00258024251332536","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024251332536","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The methods employed to detect latent fingerprints during crime scene investigations are continually refined and enhanced. The implementation of dusting techniques on surfaces that are unfeasible for laboratory transport often yields a lower percentage of identifiable fingerprints. This issue is predominantly due to the inherent properties of these surfaces and their respective levels of contamination. Furthermore, the application of laboratory procedures, typically designated for the cyanoacrylate fuming method, is of paramount importance for efficient fingerprint development in field conditions. In this study, five donors (three males and two females) deposited natural fingerprints on readily available materials in day-to-day life, such as microscope slides, both rough and smooth mica, and galvanized sheet metal. The analysis of fingerprints was conducted at seven distinct time intervals: 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months. Each of the 280 fingerprints used was divided into two equal parts, resulting in a total of 560 fingerprint segments for examination. The findings of the current study showed that 52.9% of fingerprints suitable for identification were developed with the dusting method, 89.3% with the cyanoacrylate fuming method, and 95% especially with the cyanoacrylate spraying method. These results underscore the potential significance of the cyanoacrylate spraying method as an essential scientific technique in the resolution of criminal cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"227-235"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144017932","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":"'Hiding in plain sight' - mass disasters and murder.","authors":"Roger W Byard","doi":"10.1177/00258024241308106","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024241308106","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The majority of homicides do not occur in mass disasters but are often solitary events. This enables medicolegal investigations to be targeted around the features of a specific case. Mass disasters may, however, result in a large numbers of bodies being brought in over relatively short periods of time. Such disasters may also occur in isolated locations with limited resources and facilities resulting in full autopsies not being undertaken, with faster processing of cases than is usual. For this reason it is possible that injuries due to inflicted trauma may not always be identified. Given the varied circumstances of mass disasters, ranging from the London Blitz of WWII to the 2004 South East Asian tsunami, the possibility of concealed homicides should always be considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"247-250"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142877457","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}
Kelly L Olds, Rexson Tse, Simon Stables, Andrew M Baker, Kathryn Hird, Neil E Langlois, Roger W Byard
{"title":"An analysis of risk factors for child suicide in three centres from 2008 to 2017.","authors":"Kelly L Olds, Rexson Tse, Simon Stables, Andrew M Baker, Kathryn Hird, Neil E Langlois, Roger W Byard","doi":"10.1177/00258024241274914","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024241274914","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a part of a study of suicide in children aged 17 years and under in three centers-Hennepin County in the United States (US), Auckland in New Zealand (NZ), and South Australia in Australia (AUS) from 2008 to 2017 it was decided to characterize potential risk factors and to determine whether these differed by jurisdiction. Reviewed data included a history of psychiatric illness, symptoms prior to suicide, events preceding suicide, previous suicidal ideation or suicide attempts, and communication of suicidal intent. The most common events preceding suicide were arguments with family/friends and relationship issues; in addition depression with or without expressed suicidal ideation, self-harming behavior, sadness, distress, drug/substance abuse, and anorexia were documented. Suicidal intent was on occasion communicated via technological means. In 79.5% of cases in South Australia decedents had a previously diagnosed psychiatric illness, with 62% in Hennepin County. This compared to a much lower proportion of cases in Auckland (23.8%). Whether this reflects more limited access to psychiatric services or a reluctance to seek support and therapy in Auckland is unclear. It does, however, demonstrate that risk factors for child suicide are not uniform among communities and so extrapolation of data from one area to another may not be appropriate. Disturbingly parents/carers were not aware of the decedent's suicidal intent in 84-87.2% of cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"221-226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142036276","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 Julian Assange case and its implications for expert witness evidence.","authors":"Michael D Kopelman","doi":"10.1177/00258024251328790","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024251328790","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The recent Julian Assange case raised a number of important issues regarding the role of expert witnesses in court. While written from a personal perspective, this paper will suggest that these issues need much fuller discussion than they have received to date. They will be discussed in the context of what actually happened in this case, the details of which were reported only sketchily (and sometimes inaccurately) in the press. First, there is the question of what is properly a medical or a legal responsibility. A second issue concerns whether re-litigation of already determined matters should be permitted in higher courts, when the expert does not have the opportunity to respond. A third matter involves the apparently differing professional views and ethos of the legal and other professions regarding matters of personal privacy for non-participants, particularly with respect to the safeguarding of children. Other issues include the language which may be used by some lawyers in criticising expert testimony, the protection of experts from potentially libellous reporting in the press, and the use and abuse of diagnostic classifications, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). These various matters have implications for larger concerns regarding the recruitment of suitable expert witnesses to the courts.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"236-246"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12149452/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143971543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When missing becomes murder: An analysis of missing-femicide cases from the Republic of Ireland.","authors":"Bernadette M Manifold","doi":"10.1177/00258024241265060","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024241265060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many femicide cases are initially reported as missing persons to the police. Women who go missing have a greater risk of being a victim of homicide. This study explores the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and killing of women and girls in the Republic of Ireland from 1962 to 2023. A total of fifty-four cases were analysed, 52 cases were homicides. Most femicides occurred during 1990-1999 (n = 13; 24%) and 2000-2009 (n = 17; 32%). Twenty-five victims knew the offender and the leading cause of death was strangulation with 27 cases. Dumping/leaving the body on open ground with little or no concealment was the predominant method of disposal. The leading risk factors were the engagement of the victim in a fight or row before disappearance and domestic violence. The '<i>suicide narrative'</i> should be treated with extreme caution in the disappearance of women.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"207-215"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141752064","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":"Dying alone.","authors":"Peter Vanezis","doi":"10.1177/00258024251316239","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024251316239","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"185-186"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143052614","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":"Women falling from heights in Turkey-can the Latin American model protocol help them?","authors":"Çağdaş Meriç, F Gülsüm Önal","doi":"10.1177/00258024241257104","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00258024241257104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It is not always possible to determine the exact origin of death in cases of suspicious female deaths. Deaths resulting from falls present many challenges in forensic medicine. In order to overcome these difficulties, we screened the approaches to suspicious female deaths from international documents aimed at preventing violence against women worldwide, and we conclude that the Latin American Model Protocol (LAMP) is the most qualified one in addressing this issue. We have converted the LAMP into a checklist, compared it with the circumstances in the cases we present, and evaluated the potential benefits that LAMP could provide. The study examines three cases of women from Turkey who have died by falling from a height. In all cases, the women's partners were present with them at the time of incident. In all these three cases, partners were in a legally suspicious position and claimed that the incident was a suicide. The investigation and trial processes were different in all three cases, and various difficulties were encountered during the establishment of the truth. This study has demonstrated that, despite the actual occurrence of femicide, the use of the investigation steps proposed by LAMP and a comprehensive approach utilizing the scientific methods of forensic medicine, law, and other disciplines that can assist in analyzing the incident during the investigation process can help reveal the cases where defendants claim cases are suicide despite cases being a femicide.</p>","PeriodicalId":18484,"journal":{"name":"Medicine, Science and the Law","volume":" ","pages":"89-97"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141093539","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}