Importance of the forensic medical assessment in cases of femicide linked to gender violence

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction: Femicide is the death of a woman by a man for the sole reason that the victim is a woman. 

Objective: To describe the importance of forensic medical assessment in cases of femicide related to gender violence. 

Materials and methods: A theoretical bibliographic review was carried out utilizing scientific articles from journals indexed in specialized databases such as Pubmed, Scielo and Science Direct. It was included articles about femicide with a forensic medical approach, perpetrated by an intimate partner or by any other perpetrator using any mechanism of death, published from 2015 to March 2021; in Spanish, Portuguese, or English and originals, with observational, analytical design, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis. 

Results: 45 articles were identified and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 articles were selected, which included a sample of 10081 forensic autopsies in cases of femicide. Femicide prevalence figures ranging from 2.95% to 39.5% were reported. The mechanisms of death were gunshots and knives wounds, strangulation, and trauma with blunt objects. Injury patterns such as bruises, abrasions, fractures, penetrating, and sharp wounds are reported, which are mainly located in the head and neck, chest, and upper limbs. 

Conclusion: the importance of the action of the forensic doctor will become evident in the analysis of the multiple forms and patterns of injuries in the femicide autopsy, which are usually the manifestation of a brutal crime with important social and family implications; therefore, an adequate clarification is necessary.