Violation of children's rights: Can forensic medicine help.

"Today's child is tomorrow's citizen" so goes a popular saying, stressing the need for proper care and protection of the children. India has ratified the UN convention on the Rights of Child, which came into force on 2nd September 1990 and our own National Policy for Children was adopted way back in 1974. However, if we look at the outcome of all the measures that have been taken "on paper" the record is dismal. Child abuse goes unabated in our country, right in front of the eyes of the Law. The present study was undertaken to assess whether our specialty - Forensic Medicine - can bring to focus the atrocities perpetuated on children. During the 5-year period of the study, 155 cases were examined medicolegally in the Emergency department of the Govt. Medical College Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh; of which 6% were referred for medicolegal autopsy. Physical abuse accounted for 70% cases and sexual for 30%; the police brought 61% of the children to the hospital. Boys were more at risk in cases of physical abuse, however of the cases of sexual abuse, 23% were boys. Maximum cases of abuse - both physical and sexual occurred at the home/ eighborhood of the victim. It was concluded that the society as a whole, including the Govt. NGOs, Parents, teachers, elders etc. has the responsibility for the proper upbringing of the child and until and unless all of us shoulder the responsibility with sincerity, the children will continue to be abused.

Trauma score: A valuable tool for documentation of autopsy reports of trauma victims.

Trauma related morbidity and mortality is an age old reality, however, with the passage of time, advances in medical science and technology, man has succeeded to control / minimize the extent of damage caused by trauma. Vehicular accidents continue to be the commonest presentation of trauma related mortality and morbidity, the other causes being mechanical violence, industrial accidents, etc. According to the World Health Organization, accident is an event, independent of human will power, caused by an external force that acts rapidly and results in bodily or mental damage. Objective of the present study was to analyze the suitability of Anatomic Injury Scoring system particularly Injury Severity Score (ISS) on autopsy among the cases of road traffic accidents with the aim of improving the autopsy data in trauma related deaths, thus assisting policy planning for better trauma care systems.