Citation

Atreya A, Rijal D, Kanchan T, Shekhawat RS. Med. Leg. J. 2016; 85(2): 97-99.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Medico-Legal Society, Publisher SAGE Publications)

DOI

10.1177/0025817216683583

PMID

27940655

Abstract

While abdominal stabbings are frequently associated with homicides, abdominal self-stabbing is uncommon and poses a challenge for the investigators. In cases of sharp force trauma, the presence of hesitation cuts over the neck and extremities help to distinguish self-inflicted injuries from homicides. Hesitation cuts are not associated with self-inflicted sharp force injuries to the abdomen, and thus are of limited use in distinguishing suicidal from homicidal abdominal stab wounds. In this study, we present a case of self-inflicted abdominal stabbing along with a detailed review of literature to help elucidate such cases.

© The Author(s) 2016.

Language: en