Archiv Fur Kriminologie[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
[Forensic aspects of thermal changes in human head hair].
Kijewski H
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 25004619
Under experimental conditions, head hairs of individuals of different age were exposed to defined increases of temperature up to 450 degrees C and examined by transmitted- and reflected-light microscopy with and without...
Under experimental conditions, head hairs of individuals of different age were exposed to defined increases of temperature up to 450 degrees C and examined by transmitted- and reflected-light microscopy with and without polarization. Preliminary tests had shown that the hair changes alone do not allow conclusions as to the temperature acting on the hair. Especially in the range of 200 to 300 degrees C, the temperature gradient during the heating process and the exposure time were additional influencing factors. Thick hair and hair with a high water content showed more pronounced thermal changes than thin hair. Elasticity and permeability of the cuticle and the cementing substance (cell membrane complex CMC) are also relevant factors. When heating head hairs lacking a medulla, a multiform pseudo-medulla formed under certain conditions. In the presence of thermally induced structural disturbances (e.g. by using hair straighteners), foreign substances can penetrate more easily into the hair shaft from outside. The possibility of such exogenous contamination has to be taken into consideration when performing chemical and toxicological analyses of hair.
[Forensic assessment of suspected medical malpractice and outcome of preliminary proceedings against medical practitioners].
Sandhop MW, Birngruber CG, Dettmeyer RB
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 25004618
In a retrospective study, all autopsies performed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Justus Liebig University of Giessen between 1968 and 2007 for suspected medical malpractice with fatal outcome were evaluated...
In a retrospective study, all autopsies performed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Justus Liebig University of Giessen between 1968 and 2007 for suspected medical malpractice with fatal outcome were evaluated and analysed with regard to the reason for initiating preliminary investigations and the medical specialties involved. In 109 cases, the prosecution files could be inspected as to the outcome of the proceedings. As there are hardly any comparable studies in the German-speaking countries, the data were compared with the results of two older studies. In many cases, medical malpractice could be excluded directly at the end of the post-mortem examination. Most of the charges were dropped according to Section 170 subs. 2 Code of Criminal Procedure.
["Biastophilia"--rape as a form of paraphilia?].
Knecht T
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24855740
Rape is primarily regarded as a crime against sexual integrity. If rape is the only way for an individual to get sexual satisfaction, it meets the criteria of paraphilia, i.e. a disorder of sexual preference. The correct...
Rape is primarily regarded as a crime against sexual integrity. If rape is the only way for an individual to get sexual satisfaction, it meets the criteria of paraphilia, i.e. a disorder of sexual preference. The correct technical term is "biastophilia". The author investigates the evolutionary origins of this deviant form of copulation behavior, whose crucial characteristic is breaking the will of the sexual object. He shows that in a primeval environment this type of mating behavior may have been a promising strategy to pass on one's genes to the next generation. Thus, the behavioral pattern of raping had the chance to become widely spread in spite of its social undesirability.
["Piggyback" shot: ballistic parameters of two simultaneously discharged airgun pellets].
Frank M, Schönekess HC, Grossjohann R … +2 more , Ekkernkamp A, Bockholdt B
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24855739
Green and Good reported an uncommon case of homicide committed with an air rifle in 1982 (Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 3: 361-365). The fatal wound was unusual in that two airgun pellets were loaded in so-called "piggyba...
Green and Good reported an uncommon case of homicide committed with an air rifle in 1982 (Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 3: 361-365). The fatal wound was unusual in that two airgun pellets were loaded in so-called "piggyback" fashion into a single shot air rifle. Lack of further information on the ballistic characteristics of two airgun pellets as opposed to one conventionally loaded projectile led to this investigation. The mean kinetic energy (E) of the two pellets discharged in "piggyback" fashion was E = 3.6 J and E = 3.4 J, respectively. In comparison, average kinetic energy values of E = 12.5 J were calculated for conventionally discharged single diabolo pellets. Test shots into ballistic soap confirmed the findings of a single entrance wound as reported by Green and Good. While the ballistic background of pellets discharged in "piggyback" fashion could be clarified, the reason behind this mode of shooting remains unclear.
[The problem of highlights in forensic photography].
Rost T, Wittig H, Bohnert M
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24855738
A problem of forensic photography, especially when using direct flashlight, is the appearance of highlights on wet or shiny surfaces because of light reflections. Highlights can cause considerable difficulties if they in...
A problem of forensic photography, especially when using direct flashlight, is the appearance of highlights on wet or shiny surfaces because of light reflections. Highlights can cause considerable difficulties if they interfere with relevant findings, because in a flare image information is reduced. Forensic literature describes several procedures to prevent the formation of highlights, which we compared to each other using flashlight in order to find the most effective and practicable method for reducing reflections. First, bounce flash photography can completely prevent flashlight flares on shiny surfaces such as putrefied bodies. Second, powdering such surfaces with rice powder can eliminate disruptive flares even when using direct flashlight but causes visible artefacts when using higher magnifications. As our study showed, bounce flash photography is an easy way to reduce highlights on photographs without the application of complex techniques or methods that may even alter relevant findings.
[Analysis of human tissue samples for volatile fire accelerants].
Treibs R
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24855737
In police investigations of fires, the cause of a fire and the fire debris analysis regarding traces of fire accelerants are important aspects for forensic scientists. Established analytical procedures were recently appl...
In police investigations of fires, the cause of a fire and the fire debris analysis regarding traces of fire accelerants are important aspects for forensic scientists. Established analytical procedures were recently applied to the remains of fire victims. When examining lung tissue samples, vapors inhaled from volatile ignitable liquids could be identified and differentiated from products of pyrolysis caused by the fire. In addition to the medico-legal results this evidence allowed to draw conclusions as to whether the fire victim was still alive when the fire started.
[Recreational boating accidents--Part 2: Causes of accidents and deaths].
Scheibe E, Lustig M, Lignitz E
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24855736
According to Naeve, forensic medicine also deals with medical topics concerning accidents associated with watercrafts. This field is not limited to the open sea but also refers to rivers and lakes. In the presented study...
According to Naeve, forensic medicine also deals with medical topics concerning accidents associated with watercrafts. This field is not limited to the open sea but also refers to rivers and lakes. In the presented study, fatal boating accidents were investigated over a period of four decades. The majority of the victims died from hypothermia and drowning. The article points out the difficulty to prove hypothermia in cases with a short survival time. Medical expert opinions on deaths due to boating accidents must not ignore the results of the technical and nautical investigations--the more so as the hydrometeorological situation may be crucial for the outcome. Too little attention is still paid to circulatory shock occurring in connection with the pathophysiology of hypothermia and drowning, although it may have a decisive influence on the effectiveness of rescue measures. The final assessment of fatalities in users of watercrafts should always be left to experienced specialists.
[Photodocumentation during autopsy].
Rost T, Wittig H
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24683872
Photography during autopsy is an important part of forensic imaging and essential for the documentation of autopsy findings. A forensic photograph mainly serves the purpose of providing evidence and should be authentic....
Photography during autopsy is an important part of forensic imaging and essential for the documentation of autopsy findings. A forensic photograph mainly serves the purpose of providing evidence and should be authentic. But aesthetic artwork may improve both the attractiveness and acceptance of autopsies and thus help to increase the autopsy rate. Different materials were compared to each other as photographic backdrop, particularly with regard to reflection and contrast, stability of exposure measurement and monitoring of colour fidelity. The photofoil 9010 Dove Grey proved to be a material of outstanding quality. In practical application, the foil was scratch-resistant and easy to clean. Furthermore, backdrop boards with a gap, e.g. for head and neck, allow special perspectives without a distracting background.
[Truth curves on soot blackened paper--apparatus-supported lie detection in Graz in the 1920s].
Bachhiesl C
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24683871
In the 1920s, experiments with apparatus-supported lie detection and registration of expression were conducted at the Criminological Institute of the University of Graz in order to establish a sound methodological basis...
In the 1920s, experiments with apparatus-supported lie detection and registration of expression were conducted at the Criminological Institute of the University of Graz in order to establish a sound methodological basis for testimony research. For this purpose, the criminologist Ernst Seelig used a method of lie detection developed by the psychologist Vittorio Benussi, which focuses on the analysis of breathing. Benussi had stated that the expiration after telling a lie was faster than after telling the truth, but Seelig could not verify this rule in forensic practice. Consequently, this method of lie detection was of no practical use for criminology. Seelig also carried out experiments with the method of registration of expression developed by the psychiatrist Otto Lowenstein. He registered the examinee's thoracic and abdominal breathing and the movements of the extremities with the help of a kymograph. By interpretation of the curves recorded on soot blackened paper, conclusions concerning the mental elements of an offence as well as the existence of certain dispositions and of amnesia should have been made possible. Seelig was convinced of the efficiency of this method. These experiments can be regarded as early attempts at finding not only simple facts but also answers to quasi-metaphysical questions concerning the "true nature" of man with the help of methods based on natural science and modern technology. Thus they are precursors of present-day neuroscience and neuro-imaging.
[Recreational boating accidents--Part 1: Catamnestic study].
Lignitz E, Lustig M, Scheibe E
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24683870
Deaths on the water are common in the autopsy material of medicolegal institutes situated on the coast or big rivers and lakes (illustrated by the example of the Institute of Legal Medicine of Greifswald University). The...
Deaths on the water are common in the autopsy material of medicolegal institutes situated on the coast or big rivers and lakes (illustrated by the example of the Institute of Legal Medicine of Greifswald University). They mostly occur during recreational boating activities. Apart from hydro-meteorological influences, human error is the main cause of accidents. Often it is not sufficiently kept in mind whether the boat crew is fit for sailing and proper seamanship is ensured. Drowning (following initial hypothermia) is the most frequent cause of death. Medicolegal aspects are not decisive for ordering a forensic autopsy. As statistics are not compiled in a uniform way, a comparison of the data of different institutions engaged in investigating deaths at sea and during water sports activities is hardly possible, neither on a national nor an international basis--and the reconstruction of aquatic accidents is generally difficult. Fatal accidents can only be prevented by completely clarifying their causes.
[The Patient Rights Act (PatRG)--Part 3: Burden of proof in liability questions and critical resumé].
Parzeller M, Zedler B
Arch Kriminol · 2014 · PMID 24683869
The article deals with the new regulations in the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch - BGB), which came into effect in Germany as the Patient Rights Act (PatRG) on the 2/26/2013. In the third part, the burden of...
The article deals with the new regulations in the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch - BGB), which came into effect in Germany as the Patient Rights Act (PatRG) on the 2/26/2013. In the third part, the burden of proof in liability questions (and 630h BGB) are discussed and critically analysed. In the discussion and a final resume points of criticism of the new law are pointed out.
[An unusual case of a self-inflicted injury to the tongue to simulate a criminal offence].
Doberentz E, Albalooshi Y, Madea B
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24547620
Self-inflicted injuries can have various motivations. The most common causes are mental or neurological diseases or disorders. Sometimes, however, they are also used to simulate a crime and attract attention. Such a case...
Self-inflicted injuries can have various motivations. The most common causes are mental or neurological diseases or disorders. Sometimes, however, they are also used to simulate a crime and attract attention. Such a case is reported here. A young male student of Asian origin pretended to have been assaulted to force him to convert to Islam. He claimed that he had been beaten and his tongue had been cut with a knife. The clinical and medicolegal examination did not show any signs of blunt force, but only sharp force injuries in the form of superficial scratches and cuts on the forehead and tongue. Self-inflicted injuries to the tongue are very rare and mainly occur in neurological diseases and accidents where the tongue is bitten off.
[A special facet of testing the ability to stand trial: home visits by forensic physicians].
Lach H, Püschel K, Schulz F
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24547619
Home visits by physicians are generally regarded as a characteristic task of general practitioners. However, this form of external medical practice is also performed in the field of forensic assessments. The article pres...
Home visits by physicians are generally regarded as a characteristic task of general practitioners. However, this form of external medical practice is also performed in the field of forensic assessments. The article presents the data material of the "Gerichtsärztlicher Dienst" (Medico-Legal Service) of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg collected from 1975 to 2012 and analyses the numerical development and contents of external medico-legal examinations. Statistical records and evaluations of medico-legal examinations are a rarity in Germany. The study presented here is the first investigating external examinations of subjects. It focuses mainly on home visits related to criminal proceedings where it is not clear whether the person concerned is able to stand trial. This special type of medico-legal assessment is an essential part of the administration of justice today. As the article shows, there are parallels with the work of the general practitioner not only with regard to the general aspects of home visits, but also concerning their content. A general medical knowledge is indispensible for experts working in the field of clinical forensic medicine.
[Efficiency of inspections of the corpse before cremation performed in the area of the Halle University Medical Centre].
Heide S, Stiller D, Hilbig F … +1 more , Lessig R
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24547618
From 1993 to 2007, the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Halle conducted 882 post-mortems before cremation. These records were now used for a systematic analysis of these cases to assess the efficiency of so-called secon...
From 1993 to 2007, the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Halle conducted 882 post-mortems before cremation. These records were now used for a systematic analysis of these cases to assess the efficiency of so-called second inspections of the corpse carried out in the area covered by the Halle University Hospital. In the period under review, considerable fluctuations were found from year to year, but these are mainly attributable to changes in the Saxony-Anhalt burial law introduced in 2002. Our 882 post-mortems were based on 84,677 corpse inspections before cremation; thus, an autopsy was performed in about 1% of all cases. Males were significantly overrepresented, younger age groups were dominant and there was a relatively high percentage where the first inspection of the corpse could not determine the manner of death or had to declare death by an unnatural cause. With regard to the manner and cause of death, the results of the first inspection and the post-mortem differed significantly. In 17.6% of our 882 cases, only the post-mortem revealed that death had been due to an unnatural cause. Despite the presence of sometimes strong clues to an unnatural cause, 156 of these cases were classified as natural deaths (56.4%) or the manner of death was stated as undetermined (43.6%). For more than two thirds of these 156 cases we were able to inspect the records kept by the Departments of Public Prosecution. 105 of these at first overlooked cases of unnatural deaths turned out to be deaths by accident. The other cases included 11 suicides, and 36 deaths related to medical treatment. In the remaining four cases, the autopsy results strongly suggested homicide, but only in one of these four cases subsequent police investigations were able to identify the perpetrator. This outcome demonstrates that the rule of inspecting the corpse a second time before cremation is clearly indispensable, even in its currently rather limited form.
[The Patient Rights Act (PatRG)--part 2: informed consent, duty to inform, documentation of treatment, access to the patient file].
Parzeller M, Zedler B
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24547617
The article deals with the new regulations in the German Civil Code (BGB) which came into effect in Germany on 26 Feb 2013 as the Patient Rights Act (PatRG). In the second part, the consent of the patient (Section 630d C...
The article deals with the new regulations in the German Civil Code (BGB) which came into effect in Germany on 26 Feb 2013 as the Patient Rights Act (PatRG). In the second part, the consent of the patient (Section 630d Civil Code), the physician's duties to inform the patient (Section 630e Civil Code), the documentation of treatment (Section 630f Civil Code), and the right of access to the patient file (Section 630g Civil Code) are discussed and critically analysed.
[On the effect of sanction and penalty amount -- Notes from the field to the results of criminological research sanction].
Nowrousian B
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24358624
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
[Ideal type and history--a critical review of applied criminology].
Köchel S
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24358623
Applied Criminology describes an established criminological school in the German-speaking area, which was founded by Hans Göppinger and Michael Bock, criminologists at Tübingen, in the 1980s and has meanwhile published a...
Applied Criminology describes an established criminological school in the German-speaking area, which was founded by Hans Göppinger and Michael Bock, criminologists at Tübingen, in the 1980s and has meanwhile published a number of comprehensive basic methodological papers. The conceptual centrepiece with interdisciplinary approach is the formation and application of concepts referring to the so-called ideal type, which has been essentially inspired by the epistemology of Max Weber. However, the result of a critical reconstruction of these fundamentals is that the claimed interdisciplinary approach comes into conflict with a second much more phenomenological approach of Applied Criminology which is unable to comply with the political implications of criminological research and thus disavows the necessary historical relationality of the ideal type concepts.
[Death after explosion of an "empty" acetone barrel].
Preuss-Wössner J, Gerling I
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24358622
Inappropriate disposal of (hazardous) waste material led to an explosion of an acetone-air mixture in a metal barrel. The lid was blown off and caused blunt traumatization with fatal exsanguination. The case furnishes in...
Inappropriate disposal of (hazardous) waste material led to an explosion of an acetone-air mixture in a metal barrel. The lid was blown off and caused blunt traumatization with fatal exsanguination. The case furnishes information relevant for the practical teaching of forensic knowledge and the indicated consultation of medico-legal experts already at scene.
[Vehicle-assisted suicide with a nylon rope causing complete decapitation].
Blässer K, Tatschner T, Bohnert M
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24358621
The present case deals with the unusual suicide method of a 36-year-old man who fastened one end of a nylon rope to a tree, guided the other end into a van through the open tailgate and placed the loop round his neck. Th...
The present case deals with the unusual suicide method of a 36-year-old man who fastened one end of a nylon rope to a tree, guided the other end into a van through the open tailgate and placed the loop round his neck. Then he stepped on the accelerator. Before, he had marked the point on the ground where the rope would tighten. As the rope tightened complete decapitation occurred at a speed of about 35 km/h. Autopsy showed a nearly circular abrasion zone around the site of transection slightly ascending towards the nape, a fracture of the cervical spine between the 3rd and 4th vertebra and a fracture of the thoracic spine between the 7th and 8th vertebra. The test for air embolism of the heart was positive. Macroscopically, no evidence of blood aspiration was found. Histological investigation showed general anaemia and minor blood aspiration in the lungs. Wound morphology was largely in line with the injury patterns described after decapitation in the literature. However, our results differed in that blood aspiration was discernible only under the microscope and there was a second fracture of the spine. Decapitation as a suicide method is an expression of enormous autoaggression and is categorized as a "hard" suicide method. It is used predominantly by men and its occurrence in the spectrum of suicidal actions is rare. Police investigations revealed that the man had led a sort of double life with a sexually motivated background and had suffered from depressive episodes.
["Legal highs" from the German internet--"bath salt drugs" on the rise].
Musshoff F, Hottmann L, Hess C … +1 more , Madea B
Arch Kriminol · 2013 · PMID 24358620
The appearance of dangerous and insufficiently studied designer drugs has increased substantially within the last few years. Mixtures containing centrally active compounds are often declared as "bath salt", "incense", "p...
The appearance of dangerous and insufficiently studied designer drugs has increased substantially within the last few years. Mixtures containing centrally active compounds are often declared as "bath salt", "incense", "plant food", "bong cleaners" and are marketed in head shops and on the Internet. As the majority of the ingredients of such products are not subject to regulations of the German Narcotics Law (Betäubungsmittelgesetz, BtMG), the vendors and consumers mistake the sale of such products for legal. An alternative possibility to prosecute the distribution of so-called "legal highs" arises from the regulations of the German Medicinal Products Act (Arzneimittelgesetz, AMG). Indicating a private address, several products were purchased via the Internet. The products were analyzed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry using computer-assisted database search and potential hits were checked for plausibility. The analysis of 100 samples revealed centrally acting compounds (including caffeine) in 98 % (75 % of all samples positive for caffeine). In 16 % of the samples, drugs subject to the BtMG at the time of purchase (end of 2011) were found including 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine, amphetamine, etilamphetamine, N-benzylpiperazine, mephedrone, methcathinone, and phenobarbital. In 55 % of the samples, drugs subject to the current BtMG were found (after its amendment on 20 July 2012). In 37 % of the samples, substances subject to the AMG were found (e.g. ephedrine). In 35 % of the samples, drugs with a potential psychotropic effect were found. In 57.3 % of the positive samples, more than one active ingredient was determined and in some cases up to five active components were found. Other interesting pharmacologically active ingredients found were 4-methylcathinone (n=13), flephedrone (n=8), trifluoromethylphenyl-piperazine (n=7), methylone (n=5), butylone (n=2), hordenine (n=2), and harmane (n=2). Most of the substances not covered by the BtMG can be classified as "unsafe" drugs. The distribution of unsafe drugs is illegal in Germany. However, the easy availability of real or potential drugs has to be seen critically. Little is known about the toxicological and pharmacological effects of those single substances, let alone of interactions in mixtures of such substances. In chat rooms, users advertise such drugs and blaze abroad their own experiences.
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