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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study are (i) To ascertain the frequency of suicidal deaths among females and (ii) To assess the various causes and contributory and precipitating factors for women to commit suicide.
METHODS: Data was collected from inquests, first information reports, statements made by the relatives, hospital records, panchanama at scene of offence through the Police and from the Postmortem examination reports from the Department of forensic medicine.
RESULTS: More number of females commits suicide, with the male: female suicide ratio 0.80:1. The peak age for committing suicides was 21-30 years wherein the percentage is 43.27%, followed by 11-20 years and 31-40 years wherein 27.40% and 15.38% deaths occurred respectively. Majority of victims were married (65.38%) hailing from urban areas (83.65%), living in nuclear family type (76.44%). Hanging (60.58%) was the most common method employed for committing suicide. Family problems(28.85%) followed by love failures(13.94%) were the major motives behind suicide and most of them committed suicide in isolated places with spot deaths(death occurring within 2-3 minutes) occurring in 81.7% of victims.
CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal deaths among women are increasing daily due to influence of multiple factors, which includes family problems, love failure, breach of marriages, dowry deaths, harassment, and, educational stress, poverty, and modernization of culture. Women choose different methods like hanging, drowning, burning, consuming poison to commit suicide. © 2013 South India Medico-Legal Association. All rights reserved.
Language: en |