Confirmation of alleged falanga torture by bone scintigraphy?Case report

Altun, Gürcan; Durmuş-Altun, Gulay

doi:10.1007/s00414-003-0398-z

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 3 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…Some have hypothesized that a plantar closed compartment syndrome was the cause of pain and resulted in being unable to walk more than short distances [2,9,10]. Others have suggested a ruptured plantar aponeurosis [11], thickened fascia plantaris [12], or sustained bone trauma [13]. A reduction of the elasticity of the heel pads has also been proposed [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory functions in the foot soles in victims of generalized torture, in victims also beaten under the feet (falanga) and in healthy controls – A blinded study using quantitative sensory testing

Prip

Persson²,

Sjölund

2012

BMC Int Health Hum Rights

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BackgroundFalanga torture (beatings on the foot soles) produces local chronic pain and severe walking difficulties. We have previously reported signs of neuropathic pain in the feet of falanga victims. The objective here was to clarify underlying pain mechanisms by quantifying sensory impairments in the feet of torture victims who had experienced both generalized torture and those who had been exposed to falanga in addition. An ethnically matched control group was available.MethodsWe employed quantitative sensory testing (QST) by investigators blinded to whether the patients, 32 male torture victims from the Middle East, had (n=15), or had not (n=17) been exposed to falanga. Pain intensity, area and stimulus dependence were used to characterize the pain as were interview data on sensory symptoms. QST included thresholds for touch, cold, warmth, cold-pain, heat-pain, deep pressure pain and wind-up to cutaneous noxious stimuli in the foot soles. Clinical data on anxiety and depression were retrieved.ResultsAlmost all falanga victims had moderate or strong pain in their feet and in twice as large an area of their foot soles as other torture victims. One-third of the latter had no pain in their feet and many reported slight pain; in spite of this, there were no differences in foot sole QST data between the tortured groups. A comparison with normal data indicated that both tortured groups had hypoesthesia for all cutaneous sensory fibre groups except those transmitting cold and heat pain, in addition to deep mechano-nociceptive hyperalgesia.ConclusionA comparison of the QST data between victims having been exposed to generalized torture and victims who in addition had been exposed to falanga, showed no differences on the group level. The sensory disturbances in relation to our control group are compatible with central sensitization and de-sensitization, pointing to a core role of central mechanisms. A further analysis to create individual sensory profiles from our measurements is in progress.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory functions in the foot soles in victims of generalized torture, in victims also beaten under the feet (falanga) and in healthy controls – A blinded study using quantitative sensory testing

Prip

Persson²,

Sjölund

2012

BMC Int Health Hum Rights

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“…The effects of stun guns on the target are thought to increase with duration of application, whereas for darts this is not the case [12]. Uncertainty regarding the sequence of events occurring during the deployment of shocking devices may arise, so that the testimony of one witness can only be weighed against that of a second as to what happened [1,17]. For the clarification and resolution of such inconsistencies, it may be helpful to have recourse to microscopic trace evidence [6,30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Specific traces in stun gun deployment

et al. 2005

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Stun guns are electric shocking devices that can be deployed as defensive or offensive weapons. The aim of this study was the identification of several types of trace evidence for corroborating deployment and providing clues to the weapon actually used. In a series of some 250 tests, the after-effects of firing a stun gun were studied under the differential influence of factors, such as time duration, distance from target, and bare skin vs clothing as target surface. Examination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) demonstrated the presence of metallic deposits corresponding to the electrodes of the device used. The observed differences in the number of these pellets were related to the length of deployment in seconds and to the distance of the weapon from the target surface. Longer duration of firing was consistently associated with a larger number of metallic deposits. Elemental composition of the latter provided clues to the type of device used and its current status in terms of wear and tear. Further trace evidence we examined included craters on the target surface and their pattern of dissemination on human skin, textiles, and leather. It is concluded that the use of carbon tabs for examination with SEM/EDS offers a practicable method for collecting trace material following stun gun deployment. Important groups of trace evidence do exist, and their collection and examination appear feasible.

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“…A total of 9937 article titles and abstracts were screened, 1739 full-text articles were assessed, and 266 articles were included for analysis (eFigure 1 in Supplement 1). One article was published in 1947 and the rest in 1977 to 2021, with an average increase of 0.25 additional articles published per year from 1977 ...…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of the 35 245 pairs of articles, there was no overlap in the reported torture methods for 7281 pairs of articles (20.7%). Just 69 pairs (0.2%) reported identical collections of torture methods, which encompassed 44 articles 21, 24-26, 29, 37, 45, 47, 52, 77, 97, 100, 102, 105, 107, 112, 113, 128, 132, 152, 156-158, 164, 168, 178, 192, 201, 218, 222-224, 227, 237, 238, 240, 244, 246, 247, 255, 264, 267, 274, 276 in 15 clusters: 1 cluster of 9 articles (that reported only foot whipping), 26,29,107,156,[222][223][224]244,255 1 of 5 articles (that reported only beating or blunt-force trauma), 152,201,240,247,276 2 clusters of 4 articles, 25,37,45,47,100,112,128,238 and 11 clusters of 2 articles each. 24,52,77,97,102,105,113,132,157,158,164,168,178,192,218,227,237,246,264,267,274 Less well-defined clusters were also present, including a cluster...…”

Section: Jama Network Open | Global Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reported Methods, Distributions, and Frequencies of Torture Globally

Milewski,

Weinstein,

Lurie

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceDespite its prohibition by the United Nations Convention against Torture and other international treaties, torture has been perpetrated against countless individuals worldwide, and health care practitioners globally are increasingly encountering refugee torture survivors in their clinical practices. The methods, geographic distribution, and frequency of torture globally are not well described, which limits health care practitioners’ ability to adequately diagnose and treat the sequelae of torture.ObjectiveTo rank the commonness of torture methods and identify the regions of the world with which they are associated.Data SourcesFor this systematic review and meta-analysis, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to July 2021.Study SelectionIncluded studies were peer-reviewed articles in English, contained an independent sample population of individuals who experienced torture, and outlined the type(s) of torture experienced. Excluded studies were not peer reviewed, lacked an independent sample population, or did not specify torture methods. Articles were chosen for inclusion by 2 independent and blinded reviewers, and a third, independent reviewer resolved discrepancies. Overall, 266 articles—15.3% of the 1739 studies initially identified for full review—met the inclusion criteria.Data Extraction and SynthesisData abstraction and quality assessment followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data were extracted by 2 independent and blinded reviewers into predefined templates, and a third, independent reviewer resolved discrepancies. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Downs and Black Checklist.Main Outcomes and MeasuresTorture methods were ranked by their average frequencies, numbers of reporting studies, and numbers of countries wherein the methods occurred.ResultsA total of 9937 titles and abstracts were screened, and 266 studies encompassing 103 604 individuals (13 350 men, 5610 women, and 84 644 unspecified) were analyzed. Torture was reported for 105 countries; 21 methods accounted for 84% of all reported methods and 10 methods accounted for 78% of all physical tortures. The top 3 methods were beating or blunt-force trauma (reported in 208 studies and 59 countries; average frequency, 62.4%; 95% CI, 57.7%-67.1%), electrical torture (reported in 114 studies and 28 countries; average frequency, 17.2%; 95% CI, 15.0%-19.4%), and starvation or dehydration (reported in 65 studies in 26 countries; average frequency, 12.7%; 95% CI, 10.2%-15.2%). According to the Downs and Black appraisal tool, 50 studies were rated as good or excellent and 216 as fair or poor.Conclusions and RelevanceThe findings of this study suggest that torture remains widespread. Although innumerable torture methods exist, a limited number account for the vast majority of reported tortures. So that targeted therapies may be developed, additional investigation is needed to better elucidate the sequelae associated with the most common torture methods, described here.

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Confirmation of alleged falanga torture by bone scintigraphy?Case report

Cited by 10 publications

References 3 publications

Sensory functions in the foot soles in victims of generalized torture, in victims also beaten under the feet (falanga) and in healthy controls – A blinded study using quantitative sensory testing

Sensory functions in the foot soles in victims of generalized torture, in victims also beaten under the feet (falanga) and in healthy controls – A blinded study using quantitative sensory testing

Specific traces in stun gun deployment

Reported Methods, Distributions, and Frequencies of Torture Globally

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