Citation

Faller-Marquardt M, Hellerich U, Pollak S. Arch. Kriminol. 1999; 203(5-6): 129-137.

Vernacular Title

Berufsbezogene Vorgangsweise bei Selbstverletzung im Rahmen eines fingierten

Affiliation

Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universität Freiburg i. Br.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Verlag Schmidt-Romhild)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10418663

Abstract

In typical cases self-inflicted injuries in fictitious offences show a characteristic pattern of findings with multiple, uniform, and mostly superficial skin lesions. If the actors possess special experiences, knowledge or instruments--particularly in the field of medicine--the injuries inflicted by themselves may have an appearance whose autoaggressive origin is less obvious. The case of a 43-year-old nurse is reported who was admitted for surgical treatment with two cuts in the abdomen extending into the subcutis; she pretended to have been attacked by 2 masked men who stabbed her for xenophobic motives. In reality she had inflicted the cuts upon herself after applying a local anaesthetic. The necessary equipment (Scandicain, disposable syringes, stitch cutter) was taken from her place of work. Self-inflicted injuries specific to medical professions, as well as fictitious offences with atypical cut- and stab-wounds and the insinuated motives of the alleged offenders are discussed.

Language: de