1. MEDICO-LEGAL AND FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF RARE CASES OF ELECTROCUTION.
- Author
-
MĂLINESCU, Bogdan, SALEM, Abdo, and MARINESCU, Mihai
- Subjects
ELECTROCUTION ,CRIME scene searches ,FORENSIC medicine - Abstract
The authors present four special cases of electric current action on the body, rarely encountered in medico-legal practice. The first case, a violent death caused by atmospheric electric current (lightning), presents the particularity of skin lesions typical for this rare form of electrocution. The second case presents a "hidden" electrical mark, produced by direct, bipolar (biphasic) contact with an electrical conductor, not initially evident by medico-legal and forensic investigation conducted at the crime scene, although there was a clear history of electrocution. The electrical mark was discovered at autopsy in an atypical, hidden area on the vestibular side of the lips. The third case, an electrocution by voltaic arc, also rarely seen in medico-legal and forensic practice, attracts attention due to the particularities of skin lesions (metalization). The fourth case is a suicide by electrocution with unisolated electrical conductors tied to the right hand and left leg and plugged into the electrical network. The improvised electrical installation was equipped with a switch that was operated by the suicidal person with his right hand. The conclusion is that, although electrocution is a common cause of violent death, it must be treated with great care both by the criminalist and the forensic pathologist, since some particular, atypical aspects can lead to confusion and diagnostic errors. In such cases, the close collaboration between forensics and legal medicine is essential, each of the specialists providing important information for the correct instrumentation of the case and for finding out the truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024