A Topography of Dots: New Perspectives on the History and Legend of the Forty Thieves

Shaw, Kim; Maxwell-Stewart, Hamish; Harman, Kristyn

doi:10.4000/chs.3311

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“…Rates of tattooing were particularly high amongst late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sailors and soldiers as well as in prisoners and convicts transported to Australia [ 18 , 19 ]. In Western culture, tattoos were commonly associated with membership of criminal gangs [ 20 , 21 ]. In more recent years, the practice has gained wider social acceptance, and tattoos are now popular at all levels of society involving for example an estimated 10–16% of teenagers [ 22 , 23 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association of Ned Kelly tattoos with suicide and homicide in a forensic context—a confirmatory prospective study

Byard

Maxwell-Stewart

2023

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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Ned Kelly, an iconic figure in contemporary Australian mythology, was a bushranger (outlaw) who was executed in 1880 for the murder of a serving police officer, Constable Thomas Lonigan. Kelly is often commemorated by tattoos which depict his armour and helmet or his alleged last words of “Such is life”. A study was undertaken from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020, at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, of all cases with such tattoos. De-identified case details included the year of death, age, sex and cause and manner of death. There were 38 cases consisting of 10 natural deaths (26.3%) and 28 unnatural (73.7%). The latter included 15 cases of suicide (39.5%), 9 accidents (23.7%) and 4 homicides (10.5%). Of the 19 suicides and homicides, there were 19 males and no females (age range 24–57 years; average 44 years). The number of suicides in the general South Australian forensic autopsy population in 2020 was 216/1492 (14.5%) which was significantly lower than in the study population in which 39.5% of cases were suicides (2.7 times higher; p < 0.001). A similar trend occurred for homicides which accounted for 17/1492 in the general forensic autopsy population (1.1%), significantly lower than in the study population which had 10.5% homicides (approximately 9.5 times higher; p < 0.001). Thus, in the select population referred for medicolegal autopsy, there appears no doubt that Ned Kelly tattoos are associated with suicides and homicides. While this is not a population-based study, it may provide useful information for forensic practitioners dealing with such cases.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%