No abstract

This assignment applies to all translations of the Work as well as to preliminary display/posting of the abstract of the accepted article in electronic form before publication. If any changes in authorship (order, deletions, or additions) occur after the manuscript is submitted, agreement by all authors for such changes must be on file with the Publisher. An author's name may be removed only at his/her written request. (Note: Material prepared by employees of the US government in the course of their official duties cannot be copyrighted.

Age assessment in children and young adults is a relevant medicolegal issue due to the gradual increase of persons devoid of proper identification documents in European countries. Because of the illegal immigration and growing crime rates among children and adolescents, age estimation for forensic purposes is often required. The scientific research and the extensive experience of forensic experts in the last decades focused on the use of radiographic methods addressed to evaluate the degree of skeletal or dental development as the most accurate parameters to estimate the chronological age of children and adolescents. This paper analyzes the ethical issues related to age estimation procedures based on radiographic methods, showing how the ethical principles of beneficence, nonmalevolence, justice, and autonomy may be guaranteed during the execution of the age assessment in forensic practice. The procedure might be conducted in accordance with international guidelines and protocols, though they need a higher homogenization and standardization. A strong collaboration between various scientific societies of professionals (forensic odontologists, forensic pathologists, forensic anthropologist, radiologists, pediatricians, and psychologists), who have been involved in age estimation for years, is needed to reach this goal.

No abstract

No abstract

Hanging is one of the most common methods of suicide worldwide. Despite the high incidence, only a little knowledge about the pattern of cadaver colonization by insects on hanging corpse is available. Different types of hanging can alter the body decomposition process as well as the pattern and rate of insect colonization. Two case studies where the hanging occurred with a similar postmortem interval of 34 days are described. The two bodies showed different patterns of insect colonization and decomposition scored using the Total Body Score (TBS) and the TBS for hanging (TBShang). The first case was about the body of a 24-years-old male, with mummification of the unclothed upper anatomical parts. A TBS of 14 and a TBShang of 18 were assigned. The second body, belonging to a 15-years-old male, was found pre-skeletonized lying on the ground with the skull disarticulated. A TBS of 31 and a TBShang of 32 were assigned. Average temperatures of (21.5 ± 2.5) °C for the first body and (25.1 ± 2.7) °C for the second body were recorded in the 34 days preceding the bodies’ discovery for a total of 731 and 853 Accumulated Degree Days (ADD) respectively. According to previous studies, the different decomposition patterns were related to temperatures of exposition and to the diversity of arthropod community found on the bodies because of the different types of hanging: totally suspended vs. in contact with the soil. The limited insect activity caused by hanging explains the delay in decomposition of hanging bodies in which mummification can take place, especially on the upper body parts. In vertical body position, the body fluids accumulated in the lower body parts accelerating the desiccation of soft tissues on the upper parts. The effect of gravity can also explain the decrease of internal maggot mass as larvae easily fall from the hanging body to the drip zones below where they are unable to recolonize the body if totally suspended. Furthermore, in a hanging body a greater surface is exposed to wind and sun with a quicker skin drying preventing the additional Diptera colonization. This paper shows the weaknesses of scoring scales and regression models developed to predict ADD when irregular decomposition and mummification have not taken into account.

No abstract

Incaprettamento is a ritual strangulation that represents a method of homicide typical of the Italian Mafia. While the victim is in the prone position, he/she is bound by one end of a rope, creating a slipknot around the throat, while the other end is used to tie the limbs behind the back. Forensic investigations reveal that in most cases, the binding of the extremities and the positioning of the victim are carried out after death due to others means and are intended to hold somebody in contempt and to punish betrayers. When the victim is tied while alive, the death is caused by self-strangulation because it is impossible to maintain the legs in this forced position. Here, we describe in detail a case with a lot of similarities to incaprettamento, although we define it as atypical because of the unusual methods of the actual binding and the circumstances in which death occurred. In fact, the investigation of the crime scene, the external and internal findings, and the histologic examination result show that this is a crime of passion.