Citation

Strack GB, McClane GE, Hawley D. J. Emerg. Med. 2001; 21(3): 303-309.

Affiliation

San Diego City Attorney's Office, San Diego, California 92101, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11604294

Abstract

Three hundred strangulation cases, submitted for misdemeanor prosecution to the San Diego City Attorney's Office, were evaluated to determine the signs and symptoms of attempted strangulation that could be used to corroborate the victim's allegation of being "choked" for purposes of prosecution. The study reveals that a lack of training may have caused police and prosecutors to overlook symptoms of strangulation or to rely too heavily on the visible signs of strangulation. Because most victims of strangulation had no visible injuries or their injuries were too minor to photograph, opportunities for higher level criminal prosecution were missed.

Language: en