Sharp force trauma with two katana swords: identifying the murder weapon by comparing tool marks on the skull bone

This paper describes the variety of information that a tool mark analysis on human tissue can provide based on a case of multiple sharp violence. The perpetrator attacked the victim with a sharp-edged weapon against the head, leaving several deep wounds on the back of the skull bone. Three of those marks on the skull bone could be used for a forensic tool mark examination. Silicone casts of the marks were compared by light microscopy with casts of test marks of Japanese katana swords found at the crime scene. One of the swords could be identified as the one responsible for the marks. In addition, the marks and the test marks were scanned in 3D and examined in a visual on-screen comparison confirming the results from the light microscopic examination. Furthermore, a mathematical approach in which the signatures of the marks from the skull bone and the test marks from the sword were compared by cross correlation confirms those findings. In addition, the aforementioned results were used to determine the orientation of the sword in relation to the cranial bone at the time of the respective impact

Child abuse - an overview from a medicolegal perspective

Medicolegal criteria have increasingly become the focus of attention in the assessment of child abuse cases. The principle of assessment is often to prove the plausibility of whether, for instance, the ascertained injuries are in accordance with the reported background information. A further aspect is to aid in clarifying differential diagnoses (e.g. skin diseases or congenital metabolic bone diseases). In cases of suspected sexual abuse a professional strategy is required with a suitable examination process and appropriate scrutiny of the results. Flawed or incorrect diagnoses (i.e. false positive or negative) in cases of suspected child abuse could have dramatic consequences for parents or guardians and the children; therefore, in the interests of the children it is absolutely necessary to have a good collaboration between all disciplines involved, including those inside and outside medical specialties

Manner of death, causes of death and autopsies in infants, children and adolescents An overview from a German metropolis 2002-2012

Child mortality is an issue that is repeatedly discussed internationally and is subject to strong fluctuations depending on the country and region and the respective levels of development. Several studies on child mortality are available from e.g., the USA; however, data from institutes in Germany are still lacking. The present study compared data on the manner and causes of deaths of infants, children and adolescents in Germany from 2002 to 2012 on different levels (the Institute of Legal Medicine and the Public Health Department, both in Cologne, as well as nationwide) with international data. Special attention is paid to autopsy figures and cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Throughout the observation period, child mortality decreased overall in all levels of data. Mortality rates were highest in the first year of life, with natural causes of death (premature birth, malformations, SIDS) dominating. With increasing age the number of non-natural deaths and thus, accident-related deaths, especially transportation accidents, increased. Reasons for the reduced number of cases can be nationally effective prevention and awareness campaigns as well as constantly improving medical care. At a local level, targeted educational work leads to higher numbers of autopsies, particularly in cases of SIDS. In principle, the results of this study are generally comparable with other studies on child mortality, although the available data can only be used for detailed analyses to a limited exten

Relevance of medical reports in criminal investigations of cases of suspected child abuse

If a case of physical child abuse is suspected in Germany, the general feeling is often that it does not matter whether you make a report or not because, generally, no conviction is made anyway. This study investigates the juridical analysis of complaint cases of physical child abuse [criminal complaint parag. 225 StGB (German penal code) with filial victim]. It focuses on the doctor's role and the impact of their practice in relation to a later conviction. It is based on the analysis of 302 files of the enquiry from 2004-2009 from the department of public prosecution in Cologne, Germany. Besides general epidemiological data on the reporting person, the affected child and the presumed offender, the documents were reassessed for the relevance of medical reports for successful convictions. Only 7% (n = 21) of 302 complaints led to a conviction. In 38.1% (n = 8) of those cases, a medical report was mentioned as a piece of evidence, and just in two cases a (legal) medical report was quoted and mentioned as relevant for the conviction. 50% of the complaint cases with legal medical expertise led to a trial. In contrast, only 30.2% with a common medical report and 7.3% without a report led to a trial. The results show how a medical report existed in only a few cases. In those cases, the rate of performed trials was higher than for those without a medical report, but the report played a minor part when reasoning a verdict

Schwere sexualisierte Gewalt – Aufklärung eines Falls durch Kombination aus DNA- und mRNA-Analyse

<jats:title>Zusammenfassung</jats:title><jats:p>Mithilfe der Analyse von mRNA-Expressionsmustern durch Einsatz der PCR-Amplifikation von zellspezifischen cDNA-Transkripten und Nachweis der Amplifikate mittels Kapillarelektrophorese (CE) lässt sich die Frage klären, aus welchen Zelltypen (Blut, Speichel, Sperma, Vaginalschleimhaut, Menstrual- und Nasensekret) sich eine biologische Spur zusammensetzt. Durch Verwendung der DNA-RNA-Koextraktion kann dieses Verfahren unabhängig von der STR-Typisierung durchgeführt werden. Am Beispiel des hier dargestellten Falles, bei dem Vaginalsekret der verletzten Frau am Mittelfinger des Beschuldigten nachgewiesen wurde, wird gezeigt, dass der Einsatz dieser Methode besonders bei Fällen von sexualisierter Gewalt sinnvoll ist.</jats:p&gt