Citation

Bosnar A, Stemberga V, Coklo M, Grgurevic E, Zamolo G, Cucic T, Di Nunno N. Arch. Med. Res. 2006; 37(3): 392-394.

Affiliation

Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.arcmed.2005.06.007

PMID

16513491

Abstract

A total of 853 suicides, from which 29 were committed by explosives, were recorded in the examined region during three distinctly specific intervals-peace time (1986-1990), wartime (1991-1995), and the postwar time (1996-2000). Suicides caused by explosives, without a terrorist background, from 1986-2000 were reviewed. Out of 29 suicides by explosives committed in the examined period, the age and sex of suicide victims and alcohol intoxication at the time of suicide were analyzed. In the prewar period no suicides by explosives were recorded, in distinction from wartime and the postwar period when 20 and 9 such suicides were recorded, respectively. Alcohol testing was performed in 76% of the cases, showing the highest alcohol concentration in suicides' blood in wartime with an average value of 1.58 g/kg of absolute alcohol. As to the suicides' sex, 93% of the victims were male and 7% female. The paper emphasizes the drastically increased number of suicides commited by explosives in wartime.