THE
INCORRECT IDENTIFICATION
IN FORENSIC MEDICINE (WRONG CONCLUSION):A CASE REPORT
Zeyfeoglu Y, Ulucay T, Yavuz
MS, Asirdizer M.
Turkish Journal of Trauma and Emegency Surgery. 2010; 16(2): 184-8.
ABSTRACT
Correct identification
of lesions in examined patients is as important in forensic medicine application as it is in the medical profession. However,
general practitioners and clinicians often fail to give proper attention to the definition and recording of the lesions and
clinical findings in patients. Additionally, the identification of the lesion is sometimes deficient or incorrect. This has
hindered, particularly in traumatic events that are of a forensic nature, reaching accurate conclusions during the interpretative
and legal phases. In this study, we describe the case of a nine-year old boy admitted to the hospital following a traffic
accident. During his evaluation, an ecchymosis “resembling a rail” on his chest was noted. Consequently, legal/judicial
authorities suspected the child may have been exposed to violence or child abuse and he was referred to our department. Practitioners
may contribute to inaccurate decisions/conclusions if they fail to give the necessary detailed attention during the forensic
interpretation (detailed examination and recording of lesions) and judicial process or if they have insufficient knowledge
on this subject. This case is submitted as an interesting example since it included the possibility of inaccurate conclusion
and judgment.
Key Words: Forensic case; medico-legal
fault; incorrect identification; wrong conclusion .
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