Revista Espanola de Medicina Legal最新文献

Introduction

Burundanga or potion with scopolamine is a substance that has gained great notoriety in cases of drug facilitated crimes (DFC). San Carlos Clinical Hospital (SCCH) has a clinical practice guide in suspected DFC. The toxicological analysis (TA) is carried out at the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (INTCF) in Madrid.

Objective

To analyze cases of suspicion of DFC due to scopolamine in SCCH.

Methods

Retrospective observational study of cases registered as possible SQ in the HCSC with scopolamine identified in the toxicological analysis (TA) between March 2015 and 2021.

Results

In only 1 of 292 (0.3%) records in the SCCH were identified scopolamine (128,2 ng/ml) in urine using liquid chromatography techniques coupled with mass spectrometry. A 34-year-old man was referred to the emergency room for anticholinergic symptoms, referring to a crime against property.

Conclusions

Scopolamine is a substance identified in an exceptional way in cases of suspected SQ in SCCH.

Introduction

Homicides committed by women are of special scientific and social interest. In forensic literature, common characteristics differentiating women's homicide of those committed by men have been observed. These characteristics concern the act of homicide itself, and also the victims and aggressors characteristics. Our objective is to find if in Spain, homicides committed by women present such characteristics or substantial differences exist.

Material and method

We analysed a case series (n = 18) of homicides committed by women. We evaluated their biography, homicide characteristics, previous mental illness history and drug use, and data of interest concerning the legal procedure.

Results

In our sample, as highlighted differences between our study and others, we found less traumatic events in the biography of women who have a homicide conviction. We also found less history of previous aggresions and threats to the women by their victims.

Final considerations

More studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

According to INTERPOL, dental comparison is one of the most reliable primary means of identification. However, it requires adequate antemortem (AM) records to be compared with postmortem (PM) information. Orthodontics and Dentomaxillofacial Orthopedics (OOD) is a dental specialty that uses procedures and devices with periodic controls and quality imaging for its purposes. A scoping review is presented (“forensic”AND“identification”AND“orthodontics”) in the scientific literature, of cases in which orthodontic records have been successful used for forensic identification. Of 11,413 articles, 9 reports were included that responded to the search objective. Imaging records were the ones with the highest quality and availability. The AM orthodontic data is of high quality, but the scarcity of reports shows a tendency to be underestimated in the literature. Because OOD records are reliable, imaging backup should be promoted in all dental activities. It is recommended to report these cases as learning opportunities in the medical-legal field.

Objective

To identify the distribution and behavior of suicide in the city of Medellin during the period 2015-2019.

Material and methods

Documentary study, retrospective approach, secondary sources of information on suicide cases reported by the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences between 2015-2019 for the city of Medellin were used, the data was consolidated and transformed into relative frequencies and percentages.

Results

A total of 839 cases of suicide were reported, 81% of which were men, with a higher occurrence in ages between 29 and 59 years, reaching 48% of the total cases. Unmarried people were the marital status with the highest number of cases, 60% in the last two years; asphyxia with 60% is the most used method and temporality only revealed statistically significant results with respect to the day of highest occurrence, being Sunday and Monday the most frequent with 17% respectively.

Conclusions

It was possible to establish the sociodemographic characteristics with the highest incidence of suicide, it was shown that having lower educational level increases the prevalence of suicide, the lack of support network explained the tendency of singles to commit the act, the most used causal mechanism was asphyxia followed by injuries by projectile from a firearm and poisoning.

Introduction

Insertion–deletions for human identification (HID-INDELs) allow solving peculiar forensic situations when autosomal STRs are insufficient. Although limitations were predicted since the forensic implementation of biallelic markers, formal evaluation of these restrictions is scarce. Particularly, to define the informativity provided by HID-INDELs in kinship analysis is useful to avoid wasting work, resources, and –finally– disappointments.

Material and methods

For this reason, we analyzed the 38-plex HID-INDEL system in 25 Mexican families including father, daughter, and mother, whose kinship was previously established with 22 autosomal STRs.

Results and discussion

From genotypes of unrelated individuals, we updated allele frequencies and forensic parameters of the Jalisco state (West, Mexico), by increasing the population sample size from 62 to 112. Among the forensic a priori parameters, the Typical paternity index (PI) of the 38plex HID-INDEL system showed important differences regarding the PI and probability of paternity (W) estimated herein from real paternity cases, generally undervaluing the observed informativity of these 38-plex HID-INDEL system. Conversely, the studied HID-INDEL loci offered confident kinship conclusions based on the paternity index (PI ≥ 10,000) and probability of paternity (W ≥ 99.99%) in 68% of the standard trio cases (18/25), and only 12% of duo paternity cases (6/50) (motherless and fatherless). In fact, 14% of duo paternity cases (7/50) did not reach minimum requirements to stablish paternity (IP < 100; W < 99%).

Conclusions

We updated a Mexican population database for 38 HID-INDEL loci, and we described their proficiency from real paternity cases, detailing some limitations non-previously specified.

Introduction

Suicide is a major public health problem. The objective of this study is to analyze the demographic, clinical and toxicological characteristics and the mechanisms of suicide in young people and middle-aged adults.

Method

Retrospective population study of completed suicide in subjects aged 14-55 who were subjected to a forensic autopsy in Bizkaia between 2016-2018.

Results

272 suicides were recorded. The global incidence was 7.8/100.00 inhabitants/year. 127 were 14-55 years old. The rate was 3 times higher in men and increased with age. In 72%, some clinical risk factor was collected, mainly mental disorders (59%): mood disorders (23%), substance abuse (20.5%) and psychotic disorders (14%). 38% of addicts had another mental disorder. Physical illness (23%) and suicide attempt (20.5%) were also relevant factors. 41% were positive for alcohol and/or illicit drugs: ethanol (22%), cannabis (16%), cocaine (11%) and amphetamine (8%). This percentage was 79% in substance addicts. Substance abuse disorders (25% vs. 6.5%; p = 0.03) and presence of alcohol and/or drugs (49% vs. 16%; p = 0.001) were more prevalent in men. The most commonly used methods were fall from heights (35%) and hanging (31%).

Conclusions

The incidence of suicide in Bizkaia is lower than the European average. Suicide is a complex problem associated with demographic and clinical factors (mainly depressive and substance abuse disorders) and recent use of alcohol and illicit drugs. Prospective multidisciplinary and multicenter researches are required in order to identify risk factors and to guide preventive measures.

The denigration of one parent by the other would be one of the most damaging effects for the child in situations of family breakdown, although the so-called parental alienation syndrome (Gardner) as a supposed childhood mental disorder, has not obtained acceptance in psychiatric classifications nor the necessary validity and scientific support, so its use by mental health professionals, experts and lawyers should be avoided. Instead, one can use the diagnostic criteria contemplated by the international diagnostic psychiatric classifications that we describe. It is essential to establish the differential diagnosis based on the symptom of rejection of a parent, an issue that involves difficulty and may require the assistance of a multidisciplinary team to adequately evaluate all the evaluable aspects. Professionals must act with knowledge of the limits of their science, providing those data and conclusions that are legitimate and valid according to this premise.