[Surprising discovery: dismembered body found in a commercial laundry--medicolegal differentiation between infanticide, corpse dismemberment and stillbirth]

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Abstract

The discovery of a dismembered corpse, especially that of a newborn, represents a significant challenge for forensic investigators. The cause of the dismemberment, be it natural, accidental, or criminal, must be determined. Another important question to distinguish between neonaticide and stillbirth is whether the infant was alive after birth. The present case - a dismembered infant corpse discovered in the washing at a commercial laundry - describes a forensic investigation which could avoid premature or wrong conclusions by identifying the corpse as a stillbirth that was accidentally disposed of in the laundry after an autopsy had been performed.

Bibliographical data

Original languageGerman
Article number3-4
ISSN0003-9225
Publication statusPublished - 2009
pubmed 19938406