Medicine Science and The Law 

About: Medicine Science and The Law is an academic journal published by SAGE Publishing. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Poison control & Suicide prevention. It has an ISSN identifier of 0025-8024. Over the lifetime, 2929 publications have been published receiving 29680 citations.

Microscopical Focal Destruction (Tunnels) in Exhumed Human Bones

Abstract: This is a survey of microscopical focal destruction in exhumed human bones from several countries and burial times. The single change (destruction) seen in these bones contrasts with the sequence of changes in pathological processes (destruction, cellular infiltration, new bone formation and healing). The absence of cells stresses the importance of size and shape, in three dimensions, and contents of the destructive foci. Focal mineral redeposition (e.g. cuffing) is characteristic of most forms of tunnels, and is usually associated with focal loss of mineral and bone matrix, partial or whole. In one kind of foci/tunnels (Wedl's) redeposition is restricted to packed osteons. The accumulation of the waste products of the invading organism in the surrounding tissue may hinder or stop the growth of the organism and consequential bone destruction. Later the redeposited mineral may be leached out and the bone thus ‘returned to normal’ will allow further growth of the invader and renewed destruction. Desiccation...

The Sadistic Murderer

Abstract: T H E forensic psychiatrist is sometimes asked by the police whether he can describe the type of person they should be looking for when a major crime has been committed. What can be done in this field remains limited and this must be said clearly at the outset. The question frequently arises in cases of murder and in particular the sexual murder. It seemed therefore of value to attempt to draw such a profile in the specific case of sadistic murderers. The more precise the description which can be given, the more probable becomes their early detection and the greater hope there is of eventually being able to recognise them before they have killed. It is useless, though it is sometimes done, simply to label such a person a psychopath and then give a text-book description of psychopathy. This is not only too broad to be of value to the police, for example, but it is also not accurate. It is also important to distinguish the mtu-derer who kills in a sexual setting, as for example the killing of a taunting, imsatisfied sexual partner or killing to silence a victim of rape, from the true sadistic murderer who alone is considered m this paper, although these can be factors in his case also.

Male victims of sexual assault

Abstract: Male sexual assault in the community Homophobia: covert and overt Male children and adolescents as victims: A review of current knowledge Male rape in institutional settings Surviving sexual assault and sexual torture Male co-survivors: The shared trauma of rape Cultural and historical aspects of male sexual assault Male victims of sexual assault - legal issues Treatment for male victims of rape

Parents who kill their children.

Abstract: The annual incidence of filicide by mothers and fathers in England and Wales leads to discussion on classification of the killers, with particular emphasis on the difficulties associated with the c...

Infanticide in England and Wales

Abstract: In England and Wales children under one year of age are at four times greater risk of becoming victims of homicide than either older children or the general population. The annual rate of infant homicide (45 per million) has remained relatively constant since the Homicide Act (1957) in contrast with a progressive fall in the infant mortality rate. Details from Home Office records of all infants under a year who were the victims of homicide during 1982-1988 are presented. Infants were most at risk on the first day of life--neonates accounted for 21% of victims and 13% of the victims were between one day and one month old. Thereafter the proportion decreased steadily so that by the final quarter of the first year the risk of becoming a homicide victim equalled that of the general population. Excluding neonates, there were more male victims than female ones, especially in the first three months. A parent was the most likely perpetrator. For all neonaticides the mother was recorded as a suspect, 36% of these mothers were subsequently indicted, all but two were convicted of infanticide and all their convictions resulted in probation. For children over a day marginally more fathers than mothers were recorded as the prime suspect. Mother and father suspects were equally likely to be indicted and also equally likely to be convicted of a homicide offence. However, mothers received both less severe convictions and less severe sentences than fathers. Fathers were more likely than mothers to have killed their infants using violence which wounded. Nonetheless sentences were unrelated to the brutality of the offence: mothers who had killed with wounding violence received less severe penalties than fathers who had killed in a non-wounding way.