Introduction: Hanging is one of the most common methods of suicide. It can also be used to conceal a crime. Thus, it is important to systematically have a forensic autopsy performed in cases of hanging. Only that examination can determine the actual forensic form of the death. At the national level, there is no epidemiological data on suicide by hanging in Benin. Aims: This study aims to describe the epidemiological and forensic features observed in the cases of suicide by hanging in Benin. Material and Methods: This is a descriptive and retrospective study of all the suicidal deaths by hanging collated in the Forensic & Legal Medicine Unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences (UML_FSS) for a period of 12 years, 2005-2017, in Benin. Result: Suicides by hanging accounted for 8.3% of the cases of suspicious deaths autopsied in the south and center of Benin. Males represented 85.9% of the corpses, and most individuals were under 40 years old (62.0%). Hangings were complete in 65.4% of the cases. The material used most often for hanging (28.7% of cases) was nylon rope. Subcutaneous hemorrhages (46.2%) and ecchymosis in the sterno-cleido-mastoid muscles (61.3%) were the most common finding at the neck dissection. Conclusion:Hanging is a common method of suicide, especially among young men. In Benin, it occurs behind closed doors and by means of tools used in everyday life. Forensic autopsies, however, remain infrequent in cases of suicides.
The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiological, forensic and judicial aspects of physical abuse in Abomey-Calavi (Republic of Benin). This retrospective study covered the period from 2015 to 2018. It covered all the cases of voluntary assaults tried in Abomey-Calavi court. The study included a total of 450 physical assault cases. The victims were mostly young men (58.7%) with a mean age of 31 years. The offenders had a similar profile. They were mostly young men with a mean age of 32 years. The assailants were mostly alone (86, 2%) and unarmed (56, 1%). Domestic violence frequency was 8.845%. The most frequent lesions were wound (63.1%) and bruise (51.4%). The mean duration of the total impairment was 5.8 days. Physical violence is the consequence of permanent tensions in urban area. It reflects a social imbalance. Violence management policies need to focus on prevention.
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