Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo 2015 Volume 143, Issue 7-8, Pages: 494-499
https://doi.org/10.2298/SARH1508494N
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Multiple sharp force injuries to the head - the crime of passion
Nikolić Slobodan (School of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Belgrade)
Živković Vladimir (School of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Belgrade)
Introduction. The Institute of Forensic Medicine was founded by Professor
Milovan Milovanović (1884- 1948) in 1923 as part of School of Medicine of the
University of Belgrade, and also established the Institute’s forensic
collection worthy of a museum. This paper illustrates the way Professor
Milovanović made this collection into a teaching aid for student education.
We present a case of crime of passion from the year 1931, from our
Institute’s collection. Case Outline. The victim was a 30-year-old woman with
multiple stab wounds of the head, neck and arms. It was noted in the case
history that the deceased woman was a maid with a wealthy merchant, as well
as that she had “dubious morals” for that time, with three wooers at the same
time. Injuries to the forearms and the index finger prove that the victim
tried to defend herself. In the autopsy record there is a drawn figure of a
kitchen knife with a rounded blade tip, which explains the absence of stab
wounds to the skull, and the presence of the impression skull fractures and
crushed skull bones. It was concluded that the death occurred due to
exsanguination, in turn due to transection of the left carotid artery,
probably caused by sharp force, while the manner of death was homicide. Some
of the most prominent autopsy findings were multiple mutilating overkill
sharp force injuries, localized on the head, indicated sexually motivated
murder. Conclusion. Combining the museum specimen, diagrams with injuries,
drawn figure of the kitchen knife used, and photographs taken during the
autopsy and the police investigation, Professor Milovanović was able to
properly illustrate this intriguing case to students without a computer or a
PowerPoint presentation.
Keywords: forensic medicine, sharp force injury, multiple injuries, homicide, overkill, sexually motivated murder
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