Understanding Bruises and Blunt Force Trauma
Types of Bruises and Blunt Force Trauma
A contusion is caused by blunt force trauma impacting the body’s surface. There are three types:
- Objects designed for attack or defense.
- Objects designed for attack but not defense, which can be used offensively.
- Natural means of defense for humans and animals.
Injuries Without Skin Breakage
- Ecchymosis: Mild bruises affecting small blood vessels beneath the skin.
- Equimosis: Larger than ecchymosis, affecting larger vessels.
- Sugilaciones (Suckers): Small, pinpoint epithelial petechiae.
- Hematoma: A collection of blood outside of blood vessels. More severe in bony areas.
Legal Implications of Bruises
These concepts are important in civil law, particularly in cases involving simultaneous death of family members, where determining the order of death is crucial for inheritance:
- Survival: Determining if one person survived others in an incident.
- Premoriencia: Determining the order of death among those entitled to inherit.
- Simultaneous Death: The presumption that all members died at the same time.
Suicide
According to Durkheim, suicide is any death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act by the victim, knowing it would produce that result. A suicide attempt is the same act, stopped before resulting in death.
Medical Diagnosis of Suicide
- Legal examination of the facts.
- Examination of clothing.
- Examination of the body.
- Characteristics of the death mechanism.
- Examination of the weapon (if any).
- Study of psychological motivations.
- Psychological autopsy.
Sudden and Slow Death
Sudden Death
Sudden death occurs quickly, within an hour of symptom onset. It is often unexpected and can be caused by cardiovascular, respiratory, cerebrovascular, or other diseases.
Slow Death
Slow death is often accompanied by a long period of agony, such as in cases of cancer.
- Autolysis: Cell destruction caused by the cell’s own enzymes.
- Putrefaction: Cell destruction caused by bacteria.
Victim Liabilities
- Current or former spouse.
- Women with similar emotional relationships to the perpetrator, even without cohabitation.
- The perpetrator’s own descendants or those of the spouse or partner.
- Minors or dependents living with or under the authority, guardianship, or custody of the spouse or partner.
Description of Events
- Actions intended to cause serious injury.
- Use of harmful instruments or means.
- Acts of cruelty, humiliation, or fear.
- Attacks coinciding with significant moments (e.g., separation, child custody exchanges).
- Previous threats or serious attacks.
- Other victims in the family.
Body Preservation Processes
Mummification
Caused by rapid dehydration of the body.
Saponification
A chemical modification of fatty tissue, creating a wax-like substance (adipocere).
Embalming
Artificial methods to prevent decomposition, allowing for forensic investigation.
Temporary Storage
Techniques to delay decomposition using cooling.
Livor Mortis (Lividity)
- Pooling of blood in lower areas due to gravity.
- A constant phenomenon, appearing red-violet.
- Intensity depends on blood fluidity and rate of death.
- Distribution depends on body position.
- Absent in pressure points.
Evolution of Lividity
- Begins as small patches 20-45 minutes after death, starting in the neck.
- Gradually spreads over the lower body within three hours.
- Fully visible after 10-12 hours, still changeable in position.
- Fixed completely around 24 hours.