[On the value of tattoos for identifying unknown bodies - a retrospective study of forensic autopsy cases from Giessen, Germany]. / Über den Wert von Tätowierungen zur Identifizierung Verstorbener am Beispiel gerichtlicher Leichenöffnungen im Institut für Rechtsmedizin Gießen.

The number of tattooed people in Germany has constantly grown over the past few years. The present study deals with the question if this social trend can be seen in foren- sic autopsy cases as well. In a retrospective study, forensic autopsy cases of two periods (1990-1994 and 2010-2014) have been reviewed and statistically analyzed. Comparison of the two periods revealed a significant increase in tattooed individuals, especially in the female subgroup. Between 2010 and 2014, 14.2 % of the deceased showed tattoos. There are significant differences in the frequency and localization of tattoos dependent on age and sex. About 50 % of the tattooed deceased showed tattoos on body sites that are visible for other persons in everyday life. The resulting value of tattoos for the purpose of identifying unknown bodies is discussed and illustrated.

[Forensic age estimation in juveniles and young adults: Reducing the range of scatter in age diagnosis by combining different methods]. / Forensische Altersschätzung bei Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen: Streubreitenreduktion der Altersdiagnose durch Kombination der Methoden.

The dramatic rise in the number of refugees entering Germany means that age estimation for juveniles and young adults whose age is unclear but relevant to legal and official procedures has become more important than ever. Until now, whether and to what extent the combination of methods recommended by the Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics has resulted in a reduction of the range of scatter of the summarized age diagnosis has been unclear. Hand skeletal age, third molar mineralization stage and ossification stage of the medial clavicular epiphyses were determined for 307 individuals aged between 10 and 29 at time of death on whom autopsies were performed at the Institutes of Legal Medicine in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg between 2001 and 2011. To measure the range of scatter, linear regression analysis was used to calculate the standard error of estimate for each of the above methods individually and in combination. It was found that combining the above methods led to a reduction in the range of scatter. Due to various limitations of the study, the statistical parameters determined cannot, however, be used for age estimation practice.