Delayed diagnosis of self-inflicted cuts - a case report

Assessment of individuals with injuries that may have been caused by intentional self-harm is part of routine work of forensic physicians. We present a case of deliberate self-harm of a 19 years old woman who claimed she had been cut by her partner during a quarrel while her partner claimed that she had injured herself. No forensic examination was performed. The case was first reviewed several months after the incident by experts giving consultations for the defense (the authors) by that time the only documentation of injury available were scant medical records and photos of very low quality. This case shows the importance of recognizing self-inflicted injuries even when only scant documentation is available, by comparing the injuries described to the different accounts of the incident as described by the complainant and defendant. Also the importance of availability of access of defense lawyers to forensic medical consultations is stressed.