[Alleged assault in a forest: An unusual case of self-inflicted blunt injury]

The medico-legal assessment of potentially self-inflicted injuries is an important field of clinical forensic medicine. Compared with sharp force injuries, it is much more difficult to distinguish blunt injuries caused by another party from self-inflicted lesions. We present a case of a young female doctor, who was allegedly attacked by an unknown stranger during her evening walk in the woods. She claimed to have been hit repeatedly on the head and arms with a stone. During the forensic investigation, blunt injuries could be confirmed on her head and forearms. Based on the arrangement and intensity of the injuries, together with the result of a bloodstain pattern analysis of the weapon, the victim's statement could be disproved. After being confronted with the results of the investigation, the woman admitted to have inflicted the injuries herself. This case is an unusual and rare example of self-inflicted blunt injury. It shows that the criteria of self-inflicted injuries can also be applied to blunt trauma. However, due to the small number of cases, a high degree of caution is required from the forensic expert.