Prior Exposure of the Entrance Wound Region from Clothing in Suicides

Czech version

Authors: P. Hejna; P. Hottmar
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav soudního lékařství FN a LF UK, Hradec Králové
Published in: Soud Lék., 53, 2008, No. 1, p. 11-13

Overview

According to an old empiric rule related to suicidal gunshot wound still in use, suicides will rarely shoot through their clothing, but will put it aside to expose the nude skin. A bullet defect in victim’s clothing was often interpreted as a suspicious finding. In our article, which is based on retrospective consecutive study of gunshot fatalities from 1980 to 2004, where all autopsies were performed in Department of Legal Medicine in Hradec Králové, there were 38 cases with suicidal gunshot wound of trunk. In file of 38 cases only 3 victims exposed the entrance wound region from their clothing (relative frequency of only 8%). Thus a bullet defect in clothing should not be interpreted as an absolute criterium, which could exclude the possibility of suicide or suggest homicide or an accident. But in case when gunshot victim has bared the region of the entrance wound from textile can this finding be interpreted as a typical indication for suicide.

Key words:
gunshot wound – clothing – suicide – homicide

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Anatomical pathology Forensic medical examiner Toxicology

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Article was published in

Forensic Medicine

2008 Issue 1