Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102996
Mustafa Okudan , Muhammed Emre Yilmaz , Ece Apaydin , Halit Çakir , Mahmut Asirdizer
Background
Although preventive and therapeutic medical efforts to prevent unnatural child and adolescent deaths have made significant progress in reducing the rates of these deaths, high unnatural child and adolescent mortality rates remain a significant child and adolescent health problem. This study aims to identify patterns of injury that result in unnatural deaths among children and adolescents, describe previously underreported cases of unnatural deaths within the Istanbul population, and explore potential preventive measures.
Methods
Morgue Department autopsy reports between 2019 and 2023 were retrospectively reviewed, and 926 unnatural death cases of people aged ≤18 years were compared by classifying them according to years, seasons and months, age, gender, cause of death, place of death, scene of the accident, and duration of hospitalization.
Results
The main causes of unnatural deaths in children and adolescents, which were particularly prevalent in the summer months (34.7 %), were falls (27.3 %), traffic accidents (25.6 %), and asphyxia (24.6 %). Unnatural deaths were determined to especially affect male children (65.6 %) over the age of 14 and Turkish citizens (42.7 %), and female children (43.9 %) under the age of 4 and foreign nationals (47.1 %) were the most frequently exposed to unnatural deaths.
Conclusion
The majority of these unnatural deaths are preventable, and most of them can be avoided by taking courageous and determined action and creating the required functional, legal, supervisory, and educational processes.
{"title":"Unnatural deaths in childhood and adolescence in Istanbul (Türkiye) between 2019 and 2023","authors":"Mustafa Okudan , Muhammed Emre Yilmaz , Ece Apaydin , Halit Çakir , Mahmut Asirdizer","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Although preventive and therapeutic medical efforts to prevent unnatural child and adolescent deaths have made significant progress in reducing the rates of these deaths, high unnatural child and adolescent mortality rates remain a significant child and adolescent health problem. This study aims to identify patterns of injury that result in unnatural deaths among children and adolescents, describe previously underreported cases of unnatural deaths within the Istanbul population, and explore potential preventive measures.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Morgue Department autopsy reports between 2019 and 2023 were retrospectively reviewed, and 926 unnatural death cases of people aged ≤18 years were compared by classifying them according to years, seasons and months, age, gender, cause of death, place of death, scene of the accident, and duration of hospitalization.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The main causes of unnatural deaths in children and adolescents, which were particularly prevalent in the summer months (34.7 %), were falls (27.3 %), traffic accidents (25.6 %), and asphyxia (24.6 %). Unnatural deaths were determined to especially affect male children (65.6 %) over the age of 14 and Turkish citizens (42.7 %), and female children (43.9 %) under the age of 4 and foreign nationals (47.1 %) were the most frequently exposed to unnatural deaths.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The majority of these unnatural deaths are preventable, and most of them can be avoided by taking courageous and determined action and creating the required functional, legal, supervisory, and educational processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 102996"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145314438","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}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102991
Júlia Pereira de Oliveira Silva , Renato de Almeida Pereira , Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes , Cláudio Neves , Adriano Cruz de Oliveira Novaes , Matheus Bolutari Nascimento , Lippy Faria Marques
Hollow-point ammunition represents a substantial segment of the global arms market and is employed by law enforcement agencies in multiple countries. Its widespread adoption is primarily attributed to the greater extent of tissue damage it produces, combined with its reduced likelihood of over-penetration. Upon impacting the human body, the projectile deforms, often undergoing multiple deviations in its trajectory and, in some instances, fragmenting. These ballistic characteristics present significant challenges during autopsy procedures, frequently making it impossible to accurately reconstruct the projectile's path or recover it for subsequent ballistic comparison. In this study, we propose the incorporation of lanthanide-based luminescent markers into the cavities of .40 S&W hollow-point projectiles, which, upon deformation, gradually release these markers. Experimental tests were performed on various target media, including ballistic gelatin, ballistic clay, and fresh porcine hind limbs. In all cases, entrance wound, tissue disruption, and projectile trajectories were clearly visualized using a standard forensic light source. Furthermore, a forensic scenario was simulated involving a victim inside a vehicle. In this scenario, the projectile penetrated the car door and deformed only upon striking the victim's body, thereby releasing the marker. The developed markers do not alter the ballistic performance of the ammunition, are chemically inert, and remain stable under conditions of high temperature and pressure. They can be readily recovered from biological matrices and subsequently analyzed via infrared vibrational spectroscopy. The results of the tests indicate a significant potential for facilitating faster and more accurate autopsy examinations.
{"title":"Lanthanide luminescent markers in hollow-point projectiles to facilitate post-mortem ballistic analysis","authors":"Júlia Pereira de Oliveira Silva , Renato de Almeida Pereira , Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes , Cláudio Neves , Adriano Cruz de Oliveira Novaes , Matheus Bolutari Nascimento , Lippy Faria Marques","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hollow-point ammunition represents a substantial segment of the global arms market and is employed by law enforcement agencies in multiple countries. Its widespread adoption is primarily attributed to the greater extent of tissue damage it produces, combined with its reduced likelihood of over-penetration. Upon impacting the human body, the projectile deforms, often undergoing multiple deviations in its trajectory and, in some instances, fragmenting. These ballistic characteristics present significant challenges during autopsy procedures, frequently making it impossible to accurately reconstruct the projectile's path or recover it for subsequent ballistic comparison. In this study, we propose the incorporation of lanthanide-based luminescent markers into the cavities of .40 S&W hollow-point projectiles, which, upon deformation, gradually release these markers. Experimental tests were performed on various target media, including ballistic gelatin, ballistic clay, and fresh porcine hind limbs. In all cases, entrance wound, tissue disruption, and projectile trajectories were clearly visualized using a standard forensic light source. Furthermore, a forensic scenario was simulated involving a victim inside a vehicle. In this scenario, the projectile penetrated the car door and deformed only upon striking the victim's body, thereby releasing the marker. The developed markers do not alter the ballistic performance of the ammunition, are chemically inert, and remain stable under conditions of high temperature and pressure. They can be readily recovered from biological matrices and subsequently analyzed via infrared vibrational spectroscopy. The results of the tests indicate a significant potential for facilitating faster and more accurate autopsy examinations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 102991"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269327","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}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102997
Pitchai Muthu N , Vikas Meshram , Devendra Jadav , Tanuj Kanchan , Raghvendra Singh Shekhawat , Prasanna T
Background
Interpersonal violence (IPV) is a broad term that includes all types of physical assault, involving the use of physical force or power against others by an individual or small group. Due to regional differences in resources, laws, and access to weapons, various patterns of violence and their associated risk factors are present worldwide. This study aims to examine the socio-demographic profile and injury characteristics of IPV cases presented at a tertiary care hospital in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
Methodology
An observational study was conducted among victims of IPV who reported to the trauma and emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Rajasthan, India. A total of 243 cases were included in the study. Sociodemographic details of the individuals involved in IPV were collected, and various variables were defined according to the standard definitions of the Indian law and forensic literature.
Results
Among 243 cases of IPV, 189 (77.8 %) involved males, and 54 (22.2 %) involved females. The average age of victims was 32 years ±12.3 years. A total of 87 victims (35.8 %) were classified as illiterate. The face was the most frequently affected area among all victims, accounting for 152 cases (23.3 % of the total body parts involved). About 8.1 % of victims had consumed alcohol or other substances at the time of the incident. 161 victims (66.2 %) reported experiencing physical assaults by individuals known to them. Among males, simple injuries were common, occurring in 145 cases (76.7 %), and the most common weapon used by perpetrators was a blunt weapon, involved in 157 cases (83.1 %). Among female victims as well, simple injuries were more frequent, seen in 48 cases (88.9 %), and the most were attacked with a blunt instrument, used in 49 cases (90.7 %). Univariate analysis showed that males had 1.281 (1.116–1.471) times higher odds of lacerations, 1.289 (1.204–1.379) times higher odds of stab wounds, 1.161 (1.017–1.324) times higher odds of being assaulted with a dangerous weapon, and 1.183 (1.028–1.363) times higher odds of alcohol or substance use at the time of the incident than females in IPV.
Conclusion
In this study, the young males tend to be the most common victims of IPV. These individuals are often subjected to attacks in outdoor settings during nighttime. Perpetrators more commonly used blunt weapons. Lacerations were the most common injuries. In two-thirds of the cases, the perpetrators were known to the victims. In more than one-tenth of the incidents, the victims had consumed alcohol at the time of the incident. Collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, law enforcement, community organizations, and policymakers, is necessary for a coordinated and comprehensive response to complex social and criminal issues, such as IPV.
{"title":"Sociodemographic profile and injury characteristics of interpersonal violence: An emergency department perspective from Western India","authors":"Pitchai Muthu N , Vikas Meshram , Devendra Jadav , Tanuj Kanchan , Raghvendra Singh Shekhawat , Prasanna T","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102997","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102997","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Interpersonal violence (IPV) is a broad term that includes all types of physical assault, involving the use of physical force or power against others by an individual or small group. Due to regional differences in resources, laws, and access to weapons, various patterns of violence and their associated risk factors are present worldwide. This study aims to examine the socio-demographic profile and injury characteristics of IPV cases presented at a tertiary care hospital in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>An observational study was conducted among victims of IPV who reported to the trauma and emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Rajasthan, India. A total of 243 cases were included in the study. Sociodemographic details of the individuals involved in IPV were collected, and various variables were defined according to the standard definitions of the Indian law and forensic literature.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 243 cases of IPV, 189 (77.8 %) involved males, and 54 (22.2 %) involved females. The average age of victims was 32 years ±12.3 years. A total of 87 victims (35.8 %) were classified as illiterate. The face was the most frequently affected area among all victims, accounting for 152 cases (23.3 % of the total body parts involved). About 8.1 % of victims had consumed alcohol or other substances at the time of the incident. 161 victims (66.2 %) reported experiencing physical assaults by individuals known to them. Among males, simple injuries were common, occurring in 145 cases (76.7 %), and the most common weapon used by perpetrators was a blunt weapon, involved in 157 cases (83.1 %). Among female victims as well, simple injuries were more frequent, seen in 48 cases (88.9 %), and the most were attacked with a blunt instrument, used in 49 cases (90.7 %). Univariate analysis showed that males had 1.281 (1.116–1.471) times higher odds of lacerations, 1.289 (1.204–1.379) times higher odds of stab wounds, 1.161 (1.017–1.324) times higher odds of being assaulted with a dangerous weapon, and 1.183 (1.028–1.363) times higher odds of alcohol or substance use at the time of the incident than females in IPV.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this study, the young males tend to be the most common victims of IPV. These individuals are often subjected to attacks in outdoor settings during nighttime. Perpetrators more commonly used blunt weapons. Lacerations were the most common injuries. In two-thirds of the cases, the perpetrators were known to the victims. In more than one-tenth of the incidents, the victims had consumed alcohol at the time of the incident. Collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, law enforcement, community organizations, and policymakers, is necessary for a coordinated and comprehensive response to complex social and criminal issues, such as IPV.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 102997"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145294921","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}
Tropane alkaloids such as atropine and scopolamine are naturally occurring compounds found in various plants of the Solanaceae family, notably Datura species. Although widely used in clinical settings, their potent anticholinergic properties can lead to severe toxic effects. Fatalities involving these substances remain rare, particularly in accidental contexts. Here, the authors report the case of a 58-year-old male who died following the accidental consumption of a meal suspected to have been contaminated with plant material containing tropane alkaloids. At autopsy, blackish vomitus containing unidentified vegetal fragments was observed, and toxicological analyses highlited significant concentrations of both atropine and scopolamine in all postmortem matrices, including femoral and cardiac blood, urine, vitreous humor, and gastric content. No other xenobiotics were detected. This case, consistent with previous toxicological and pathological findings, represents the first documented fatality involving accidental ingestion of tropane alkaloids in a presumed foodborne context. It underscores the potential risks associated with the foraging or handling of toxic plants and underscores the need for greater public health awareness and preventive education.
{"title":"Accidental foodborne poisoning by atropine and scopolamine: a fatal case report","authors":"Sébastien Vivares , Nathalie Jousset , Chadi Abbara , Laura Renard , Stéphane Malbranque , Séverine Ferec , Marie Briet , Guillaume Drevin","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tropane alkaloids such as atropine and scopolamine are naturally occurring compounds found in various plants of the <em>Solanaceae</em> family, notably Datura species. Although widely used in clinical settings, their potent anticholinergic properties can lead to severe toxic effects. Fatalities involving these substances remain rare, particularly in accidental contexts. Here, the authors report the case of a 58-year-old male who died following the accidental consumption of a meal suspected to have been contaminated with plant material containing tropane alkaloids. At autopsy, blackish vomitus containing unidentified vegetal fragments was observed, and toxicological analyses highlited significant concentrations of both atropine and scopolamine in all postmortem matrices, including femoral and cardiac blood, urine, vitreous humor, and gastric content. No other xenobiotics were detected. This case, consistent with previous toxicological and pathological findings, represents the first documented fatality involving accidental ingestion of tropane alkaloids in a presumed foodborne context. It underscores the potential risks associated with the foraging or handling of toxic plants and underscores the need for greater public health awareness and preventive education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 102995"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145350599","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}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102994
Nili Karako - Eyal , Adi Youcht
{"title":"Forensics under fire: Legal gaps and the role of the Israeli national institute of forensic medicine in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks","authors":"Nili Karako - Eyal , Adi Youcht","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102994","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 102994"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145294836","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}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102992
Cath White , Glen P. Martin , Harriet Smailes , Rabiya Majeed-Ariss
{"title":"An analysis of non-fatal strangulation in adult males reporting rape or sexual assault between 2017 and 2024","authors":"Cath White , Glen P. Martin , Harriet Smailes , Rabiya Majeed-Ariss","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102992","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102992","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 102992"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270497","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}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102972
Victor W. Weedn
{"title":"Response to Kroll et al., Promoting the prone position paranoia: Confusing correlation with causation","authors":"Victor W. Weedn","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102972","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"115 ","pages":"Article 102972"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145318859","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}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102982
Alon Steinberg, Dhilan Patel, Amanda Frugoli
{"title":"The final breath on prone restraint deaths: Response to promoting the prone position paranoia","authors":"Alon Steinberg, Dhilan Patel, Amanda Frugoli","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102982","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"115 ","pages":"Article 102982"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145318904","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}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102973
Mark W. Kroll , Tom S. Neuman , Ted C. Chan , Michael A. Brave , Darrell L. Ross , Robert C. Bux , Michael A. Graham , Gary M. Vilke
{"title":"Promoting the prone position paranoia: Confusing correlation with causation","authors":"Mark W. Kroll , Tom S. Neuman , Ted C. Chan , Michael A. Brave , Darrell L. Ross , Robert C. Bux , Michael A. Graham , Gary M. Vilke","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2025.102973","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"115 ","pages":"Article 102973"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145318883","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}
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