Audit of Homicidal Deaths in Multan in Year 2014
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE Audit of Homicidal Deaths in Multan in Year 2014 TARIQ AZHER1, ASIFJAMIL ANSARI2, FARRUKH AZIZ3, NIAZ AHMED BLOCH4 ABSTRACT Back Ground: Violence is a significant public health problem. Thus, so as to prevent this problem, homicide, the severest form of violence depriving a human being of his right to live, deserves a detailed examination. Aim: To know frequency of homicidal deaths in Multan. Methods: This study is retrospective research examining 150 cases of medicolegal autopsies in Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department Nishtar Medical College Multan (from January 2014 to December 2014. Results:-Among these cases, 91 i.e., 60.67%, which were determined to be homicidal, were taken into the scope of this study. The male to female ratio was 5:2. The majority of victims of homicide (30.7%) were found to be in third decade of age i.e. 22 – 29 years. Firearm was the most common weapon used for committing homicide and the maximum number of cases was found to be in the months of February, April, May and October with the involvement of head and chest as primary target organs. Keyword: Homicidal death, violence, autopsy INTRODUCTION Toxicology, Nishtar Medical College Multan during Homicide is an expression of aggression in its most the year 2014 (From 1st Jan to 31st Dec). All of these extreme form1 and defined as killing of one human 2 were analyzed and 91 homicidal cases were selected being by another human being . It is one of the three for the study. The cases labelled as homicide on the unnatural manners of death, other two being suicidal 3 basis of circumstances of death (information and accidental . gathered from police inquest) and autopsy findings There is a great variation in the frequency of were included in the study while all homicide in the world ranging from more or less 1 per 4 5 suicidal/accidental cases were excluded from the 100,000 populations in Canada , Germany , Egypt, present study. Greece and England to more than 15 per 10,000 in 2 They were grouped on the bases of age, sex, Mexico and Columbia . In USA homicide rates have causative agent, part of the body involved having varied from 1.1/100,000 in 1903 to peak of fatal injuries, the month in which the incident took 10.7/100,000 in 1980, declining to 6.1/100,000 in 1 place and the area of police station where the 2004 . homicide occurred. Homicide is reported to be commoner in younger age group1.6,7,8,9,10,11. Males are predominant 5.6 RESULTS victims . The weapon used in homicidal incidents varies in different parts of the world but is mostly a Multan was having a population of 1.4 million during firearm7.9. The most common regions of body the study period, the rate of homicide comes out to involved in homicidal injuries are head and chest be 6.5 per 100,000 population per year. while maximum incidents of homicide occurred in 1. To know frequency of homicidal deaths in Multan. summer8,11. 2. To observe which gender and age group was In view of brief description above, this study was mostly involved. carried out with the following aims and objectives. 3. To ascertain the most commonly used weapon, Among 150 medicolegal autopsies, 60.67% were parts of body involved. determined to be homicidal during the year 2014. 4. To determine seasonal trend if any occurring in such cases MATERIAL AND METHODS The majority of victims of homicide (30.7%) were found to be in third decade of age followed by 4th , 5th A total of 150 medicolegal autopsies were conducted th and 6 decade (19.8%, 17.6% and 13.2%) in the Department of Forensic Medicine and respectively. Males were predominant victims of --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1Asstt. Prof. of Forensic Medicine, MMDC, Multan homicide, male to female ratio was 5:2 (Table 1). 2Asstt. Prof. of Forensic Medicine CMH Institute of Medical The majority of male homicides were committed sciences, Multan (NUMS). with firearms (40%) followed by poisoning and blunt 3 Asso Prof Forensic Medicine, NMC Multan, means (23.08% and 15.4%) respectively (Table 2). 4Prof. of Forensic Medicine MMDC, Multan Correspondence to Dr. Tariq Azher 790 P J M H S Vol. 10, NO. 3, JUL – SEP 2016 Tariq Azher, Asifjamil Ansari, Farrukh Aziz et al The sharp weapon was the 2nd leading (23.1%) majority of cases followed by blunt and sharp weapon causative agent of homicide in females after firearm (Table 5). Majority of homicidal deaths occurred in weapon (30.8%) and 3rd decade of life was the most April, May, October and Feb. (43out of 91, vulnerable age group while there was minimum 47.25%)(Table 6). The cases of homicide turned to number of cases of homicide in 1st decade of life be maximum (14.3%) in the area of police station (Table 3). There was no case of homicide by firearm Gulgasht followed by p/s Mumtazabad (12.1%). The weapon in age group 0-9 years in both sexes and the weapon used most often to commit homicide was majority of victims of homicide were predominantly in firearm mainly in the areas of police station their 3rd decade of life (Table 4). Among the regions Mumtazabad, P/s New Multan and P/s Gulgasht of the body, head is predominantly involved followed (Table 7). by chest and abdomen, and weapon is firearm in Table 1: Age and sex distribution of victims of homicide at Multan during year 2014 Age (years) Male Female Percentage 0-9 02 1 03.3 10-19 04 2 06.6 20-29 20 8 30.7 30-39 11 7 19.8 40-49 13 3 17.6 50-59 09 3 13.2 60/ above 06 2 08.8 Table-2: Causative Agent/weapons in Homicidal deaths in relation to age groups in Males Causative Age groups in years Agent/ weapon 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 & above Total Firearm 00 01 08 04 09 03 01 26(40%) Sharp 00 00 04 01 01 02 00 8(12.3%) Blunt 00 00 03 01 01 03 02 10(15.4%) Strangulation 02 01 00 01 00 00 00 4(6.15%) Burns 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 2(3.07%) Poisoning 00 02 05 02 02 01 03 15(23.08%) Total 02(3.08%) 04(6.15%) 20(30.77%) 11(17%) 13(20%) 09(13.8%) 06(9.23%) 65(100%) Table 3: Causative agent/weapons in homicidal deaths in relation to age group in Females Causative Age groups in years Agent/ weapon 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 & above Total Firearm 00 00 03 03 01 01 00 08(30.8%) Sharp 01 01 02 01 00 01 00 06(23.1%) Blunt 00 00 01 02 00 01 00 04(15.4%) Strangulation 00 01 02 00 00 00 00 03(11.5%) Burns 00 00 00 01 01 00 00 02(7.7%) Poisoning 00 00 00 00 01 00 02 03(11.5%) Total 1(3.9%) 2(7.7%) 8(30.8%) 7(26.9%) 3(11.5%) 3(11.5%) 2(7.7%) 26(100%) Table 4: Causative agent/weapons in homicidal deaths in relation to age groups Causative Age groups in years Agent/ weapon 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 & above Total Firearm 00 01 11 07 10 04 01 34(37.4%) Sharp 01 01 06 02 01 03 00 14(15.4%) Blunt 00 00 04 03 01 04 02 14(15.4%) Strangulation 02 02 02 01 00 00 00 7(7.7%) Burns 00 00 00 03 01 00 00 4(4.4%) Poisoning 00 02 05 02 03 01 05 18(19.8%) Total 3(3.3%) 6(6.6%) 28(30.8%) 18(19.8%) 16(17.6%) 12(13.2%) 08(8.8%) 91(100%) Table 5: Target areas in different weapons of homicide Region involved Number of injuries in different methods of homicide Firearm Sharp weapon Blunt means Total Head 12 02 11 25 Neck 00 03 00 03 Chest 13 04 02 19 Abdomen 08 05 01 14 Upper limb 00 00 00 00 Lower limb 1 00 00 01 P J M H S Vol. 10, NO. 3, JUL – SEP 2016 791 Audit of Homicidal Deaths in Multan in Year 2014 Table 6: Month-wise distribution of homicidal deaths Month Firearm Sharp Blunt Strangulation Poisoning Burns Total and % Jan 01 00 00 00 01 01 03 (3.3%) Feb 04 00 02 00 04 00 10 (11%) Mar 00 00 01 02 02 00 05 (5.5%) Apr 04 02 02 02 01 00 11(12.1%) May 05 03 02 00 01 00 11(12.1%) June 04 01 01 00 01 00 07(7.7%) Jul 02 02 02 01 01 00 08(8.8%) Aug 05 00 00 01 01 00 07(7.7%) Sep 03 02 00 00 00 00 05(5.5%) Oct 02 01 02 00 03 03 11(12.1%) Nov 03 00 00 00 01 00 04(4.4%) Dec 01 03 02 01 02 00 09(9.9%) Total 34(37.4%) 14(15.4%) 14(15.4%) 07(7.7%) 18(19.8%) 04(4.4%) 91(100%) Table 7: Police Station Wise Distribution Of Victims Of Homicide In Relation To Different Weapons/Causative Agents Name of area/police Number of injuries in different methods of homicide station Firearm Sharp Blunt Strangulation Poisoning Burns Total Mumtazabad 06 00 02 01 02 00 11(12.1%) Multan Cantt.