Complex versus simple suicides in Northern Tunisia: A 17 years autopsy-based study

Area of Science:

• Forensic Pathology
• Toxicology
• Legal Medicine

Background:

• Complex suicides present unique challenges for forensic specialists and judicial authorities.
• These cases require meticulous examination of both the deceased and the death scene.
• Understanding the patterns of complex suicide is crucial for accurate determination of cause and manner of death.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the demographic and method patterns of complex suicide victims in northern Tunisia.
• To compare complex suicide cases with simple suicide cases.
• To identify characteristics that aid in the investigation of complex suicides.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study.
• Data collection from autopsied cases of simple and complex suicides.
• Inclusion of cases from the Department of Legal Medicine of Tunis between 2005 and 2021.

Main Results:

• 72 complex suicides (3.3% of total suicides) were identified.
• Males constituted 77.8% of victims, with a mean age of 42.2 years.
• Combined methods (e.g., poisoning and hanging) were frequent (93.1%), with specific methods like hanging and poisoning being most common.

Conclusions:

• Complex suicide is infrequent but poses significant investigative difficulties.
• Thorough victim background analysis, scene inspection, event reconstruction, and complete autopsy are vital.
• Findings highlight the need for specialized approaches in complex suicide investigations.