13 research outputs found
Anal Examinations in Cases of Alleged Homosexuality
Anal examinations are forcibly conducted in many countries where consensual anal intercourse is considered a criminal act. They are conducted almost exclusively on males in an effort to “prove” that they are “homosexuals” despite the fact that anal intercourse is not a necessary determinant of “homosexual activity.”
Forcibly conducted anal examinations are usually initiated at the request of law enforcement officials, the prosecutor, or the court and conducted in the absence of informed consent or in circumstances where individuals are not capable of giving genuine informed consent or where refusal to give consent would be interpreted as self-incrimination. This may be presumed to be the case when examinations are conducted on individuals in detention, subsequent to allegations of criminalised sexual acts by the authorities.
The purpose of this medico-legal statement is to provide legal experts, adjudicators, health care professionals, and policymakers, among others, with an understanding of: 1) the validity of forcibly conducted anal examinations as medical and scientific evidence of consensual anal intercourse; 2) the likely physical and psychological consequences of forcibly conducted anal examinations; and 3) whether, based on these effects, forcibly conducted anal examination constitutes cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or torture
Statement on Virginity Testing: Independent Forensic Expert Group
Virginity examinations are practiced in many countries, and often forcibly, in a number of contexts, including in detention places; on women who allege rape; on women who are accused by authorities of prostitution; and as part of public or social policies to control sexuality. In other states, the practice is illegal.
The purpose of this medico-legal statement is to provide legal experts, adjudicators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, among others, with an understanding of the physical and psychological effects of forcibly conducting virginity examinations on females and to assess whether, based on these effects, forcibly conducted virginity examinations constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or torture. This medico-legal statement also addresses the medical interpretation and relevance of such examinations and the ethical implications. This opinion considers an examination to be ‘forcibly conducted’ when it is “committed by force, or by threat of force or coercion, such as caused by fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or abuse of power, against such person incapable of giving genuine consent.”
For full details about the Independent Forensic Expert Group please visit http://www.irct.org/our-support/ medical-and-psychological-case-support/forensic-expertgroup.aspx
Accurate completion of medical report on diagnosing death
Diagnosing death and issuing a Death Diagnosing Form (DDF) represents an
activity that carries a great deal of public responsibility for medical
professionals of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and is perpetually
exposed to the control of the general public. Diagnosing death is necessary
so as to confirm true, to exclude apparent death and consequentially to avoid
burying a person alive, i.e. apparently dead. These expert-methodological
guidelines based on the most up-to-date and medically based evidence have the
goal of helping the physicians of the EMS in accurately filling out a medical
report on diagnosing death. If the outcome of applied cardiopulmonary
resuscitation measures is negative or when the person is found dead, the
physician is under obligation to diagnose death and correctly fill out the
DDF. It is also recommended to perform electrocardiography (EKG) and record
asystole in at least two leads. In the process of diagnostics and treatment,
it is a moral obligation of each Belgrade EMS physician to apply all
available achievements and knowledge of modern medicine acquired from
extensive international studies, which have been indeed the major theoretical
basis for the creation of these expert-methodological guidelines. Those
acting differently do so in accordance with their conscience and risk
professional, and even criminal sanctions
Clinical forensic medicine examination of trafficked victims
In this paper certain explanations of health related aspects of human trafficking are discussed together with responsibilities of health care providers to the victims of trafficking. Clinical forensic medicine is outlined, and its role in obtaining of medical evidence has been discussed. Special remarks are made on the application of clinical forensic medicine skills in assessment of victims of human trafficking. Protocol for clinical forensic examination of the victims of human trafficking, which has been developed in the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Belgrade, has been discussed in details
Death caused by heat stroke: Case report
Introduction. Heat stroke is the most dangerous among numerous disorders
caused by elevated environmental temperature. It is characterized by an
increased body temperature of over 40°C, the dysfunction of the central
nervous system and the development of multiple organ failure. The aim of this
paper was to highlight problems in the clinical and post-mortal diagnosis of
fatal heat stroke. Case Outline. A 20-year-old male was found unconscious on
the street; on admission at the Emergency Center, Clinical Center of Serbia,
Belgrade, he was in a coma. The body temperature of 40°C was maintained
despite the applied therapy, meningeal signs were negative, tachycardia with
gallop rhythm, hypotension, bleeding from the nose and mouth, and presence of
skin bruises. Laboratory findings: highly elevated LDH and creatine kinase,
elevated serum creatinine, AST, and signs of DIC. Lethal outcome occurred 6
hours after admission, and the case remained clinically unsolved. Autopsy
showed signs of hemorrhagic diathesis, brain and pulmonary edema, and
microscopic examination revealed general congestion, internal bleeding in
various organs, cerebral edema, massive blood aspiration and pulmonary edema.
Toxicological and bacteriological examinations were negative. Based on these
findings and subsequently obtained data on the conditions at the workplace
where the young man had a part-time job, it was concluded that the violent
death was caused by heat stroke. Conclusion. Since heat stroke is associated
with a high mortality rate and high incidence of serious and permanent organ
damage in survivors, it is important to make the diagnosis of heat stroke as
quickly as possible and apply appropriate treatment. Misdiagnosis of heat
stroke, and consequently inadequate treatment, with a potential fatal outcome
for the patient, can be the reason for blaming doctors for the legal offense
of medical malpractice in failing to administer first aid