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Implications of Genital Mutilation at Autopsy
1Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Frome Road, Level 3, Medical School North Building, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|January 10, 2017
Summary
Genital mutilation in forensic cases can occur before, during, or after death. Causes range from cultural practices and self-harm to animal predation and homicide, requiring careful medicolegal evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Forensic pathology
- Medicolegal investigations
- Genitourinary medicine
Background:
- Genital mutilation presents unique challenges in medicolegal fatalities.
- Understanding the timing and cause of genital injuries is crucial for accurate death investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and categorize types of external genital mutilation observed in medicolegal fatalities.
- To identify the potential timing (ante mortem, peri mortem, postmortem) and causes of genital mutilations.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
- Cases involving mutilation of external genitalia in forensic contexts were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Ante mortem mutilations include cultural practices (circumcision, subincision), female genital mutilation (FGM) in specific populations, and self-inflicted injuries often linked to psychiatric conditions.
- Postmortem injuries can result from animal activity or deliberate corpse mutilation, sometimes associated with sadistic homicide.
Conclusions:
- The diverse etiologies of genital mutilation in forensic cases necessitate meticulous examination.
- Distinguishing between ante mortem, peri mortem, and postmortem genital injuries is vital for correct interpretation in medicolegal death investigations.