Citation

Lynch M, Black M. Med. Sci. Law 2008; 48(1): 24-30.

Affiliation

Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne, Australia. matthewl@vifm.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

18341154

Abstract

The Departments of Forensic Medicine and Science at the University of Glasgow and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Melbourne are academic university-based forensic medicine units providing a medico-legal death investigation service to the Strathclyde region of Scotland and the State of Victoria, Australia, respectively. We reviewed and compared homicides in the two jurisdictions for the year 2005. Whilst gross numbers were comparable, the homicide rate per capita was significantly higher in Glasgow. Death due to stabbing comprised a greater proportion of homicides in Glasgow, reflective of a well recognised social epidemic of knife-related trauma amongst young males. Blunt force trauma was the most prevalent cause of homicidal injury in the Australian cases. The cities shared a low incidence of firearm- related homicide, reflective of strict legislative initiatives.

Language: en