Accident or crime? About the meaning of face injuries inflicted by blunt force

ABSTRACT Injuries caused by blunt force are seen frequently in daily forensic casework. Sometimes, especially when there is less information about the surrounding circumstances, it might become difficult to figure out the cause and background of injuries: accident, criminal violence or self-infliction? In the study presented, face injuries caused by blunt force in 694 cases were analyzed comparing the injury patterns in accidents to those in crimes. It turned out injuries of the ear and retroauricular region clearly indicate a crime. Also, soft tissue injuries of nose, upper jaw, and lower jaw point towards a criminal violence, whereas tooth injuries occur with a similar frequency in both crimes and accidents.

[1]  Vipul Namdeorao Ambade,et al.  Comparison of wound patterns in homicide by sharp and blunt force. , 2006, Forensic science international.

[2]  N. Ahmad,et al.  Trends in maxillofacial injuries in women, 2000-2004. , 2009, British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

[3]  S. Banaschak,et al.  Forensisch-medizinische Untersuchung von Gewaltopfern , 2011, Rechtsmedizin.

[4]  H Maxeiner,et al.  Lethal pedestrian--passenger car collisions in Berlin. Changed injury patterns in two different time intervals. , 2009, Legal medicine.

[5]  Célia Kremer,et al.  Discrimination of Falls and Blows in Blunt Head Trauma: Assessment of Predictability Through Combined Criteria * , 2009, Journal of forensic sciences.

[6]  S. Ritz-Timme,et al.  Klinisch-rechtsmedizinische Kompetenz in der Gewaltversorgung , 2012, Rechtsmedizin.

[7]  Gisela Steins.  Handbuch Psychologie und Geschlechterforschung , 2010 .

[8]  C. Ström.  Injuries Due to Violent Crimes , 1992, Medicine, science, and the law.

[9]  Pierre Guyomarc’h,et al.  Discrimination of Falls and Blows in Blunt Head Trauma: A Multi‐Criteria Approach , 2010, Journal of forensic sciences.

[10]  H. Gedeon.  Die Fraktur des Os nasale: Eine Analyse an 300 Patienten , 2009 .

[11]  J. Kieser,et al.  Understanding Craniofacial Blunt Force Injury: A Biomechanical Perspective , 2009 .

[12]  E. Mützel.  Gewalt gegen Kinder und Jugendliche , 2011, Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde.

[13]  W. Kleemann,et al.  Types of trauma in cases of homicide. , 1994, Forensic science international.

[15]  E. Ehrlich,et al.  [Site, number and depth of wounds of the scalp in falls and blows--a contribution to the validity of the so-called hat brim rule]. , 2000, Archiv fur Kriminologie.

[16]  M. Gilchrist,et al.  Investigation of the force associated with the formation of lacerations and skull fractures , 2012, International Journal of Legal Medicine.

[17]  E. Lignitz,et al.  Kicking and Trampling to Death , 2004 .

[18]  S. Banaschak,et al.  Forensisch-medizinische Untersuchung von Gewaltopfern , 2014, Rechtsmedizin.

[19]  J. Windolf,et al.  Gewaltopferversorgung in der Notfallambulanz , 2012, Rechtsmedizin.

[20]  David L Chadwick.  The potential and limitations of utilising head impact injury models to assess the likelihood of significant head injury in infants after a fall. , 2004, Forensic science international.

[21]  S. Maguire.  Which injuries may indicate child abuse? , 2010, Archives of Disease in Childhood: Education & Practice Edition.

[22]  B. Madea,et al.  Injuries in fatal cases of falls downstairs. , 2004, Forensic science international.

[23]  G. Geserick,et al.  Kicking to death - forensic and criminological aspects. , 2001, Forensic science international.

[24]  Burkhard Madea,et al.  Retrospective analysis of fatal falls. , 2010, Forensic science international.

[26]  M. Vesper,et al.  Zahn- und Gesichtsschädelverletzungen , 2003, Trauma und Berufskrankheit.

[27]  J. Shepherd,et al.  Assault and facial soft tissue injuries. , 1987, British journal of plastic surgery.

[28]  O. Brink.  When violence strikes the head, neck, and face. , 2009, The Journal of trauma.

[29]  B. Madea.  Praxis Rechtsmedizin : Befunderhebung, Rekonstruktion, Begutachtung , 2007 .

[30]  F. Unterharnscheidt.  Tottreten mit den beschuhten und unbeschuhten Füßen , 1993 .

[31]  T. Tuli,et al.  Cranio-maxillofacial trauma: a 10 year review of 9,543 cases with 21,067 injuries. , 2003, Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery : official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery.

[32]  T. Shwayder,et al.  Cutaneous Manifestations of Child Abuse , 2006, Pediatric dermatology.

[33]  B. Madea,et al.  Notfallmedizinische Aspekte zum Verletzungsmuster bei Treppenstürzen aus rechtsmedizinischer Sicht , 2003, Notfall & Rettungsmedizin.