Clinical Forensic Aspect of Burn Injury in Domestic Violence: A Case Report

Abstract

Domestic violence is one case that increases from year to year. This is universal and can occur regardless of age, profession, economic status or education. Most of the victims are women and the perpetrators are usually her husbands. Domestic violence can be physical, psychological, sexual violence and neglect of the household which physical violence can be sharp, blunt, burn and other violences. A burn on the victim can be a single injury or many injuries. The presence of these injuries can endanger the victim, for example inhalation injuries that accompany burns can cause death. In this case report, on October 15th 2019, a woman suffered burns to the head, face, chest, both arms and legs, as a result of being doused and burned with gasoline by her husband who refused to get divorced. Based on the examination, the victim suffered second-degree burn and inhalation injury requiring ventilator. From a legal review in Indonesia, the perperators can be subjected to Indonesian Criminal Code Articles 353, 354 and 355 and Law Number 23 of 2004 concerning the Elimination of Domestic Violence Articles 44 and 45. The conclusion is a woman who suffered the threat of death, due to burns on the face and chest, because of her husband's action