ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Human trafficking or contemporary slavery is the recruitment and transfer of people by force or deception for sexual, labour or other types of exploitation. Although the violence, abuse and deprivation that trafficking entails are a threat to the health of its victims, in Spain the clinical or forensic data available in this regard is scarce. At the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Catalonia (IMLCFC), a unit specialized in the forensic assessment of these victims was created. The objective of this work was to describe a series of forensic cases of trafficking victims. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective study of victims in judicial cases opened for an alleged crime of human trafficking registered in the IMLCFC until 06/30/2023. RESULTS: 57 different victims were registered. The majority were women (71.9%). The average age was 30.5 years (s.d. 10.31). All the victims were foreigners, mostly from Latin America (45.5%). The exploitation was mainly sexual (61.4%). There were some sociodemographic differences and in the conditions and consequences of trafficking between victims of sexual exploitation and the rest. Mental health problems were very common in all victims at the time of the assessment (87.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The consequences of trafficking on health, especially mental health, are notable and the forensic assessment of victims is valuable in judicial proceedings. It is necessary to deepen our knowledge of the phenomenon in our environment.
ABSTRACT
El suicidio constituye un importante problema de salud pública. La mortalidad por suicidio, la calidad de las estadísticas y su validez son un elemento crucial en su monitorización y prevención. En este artículo pretendemos realizar una actualización de las aportaciones de la medicina forense a la conducta suicida, destacando la importancia de las fuentes forenses en el conocimiento de los factores de riesgo así como la participación de Institutos de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses en programas de prevención del suicidio. Hemos querido señalar las distintas colaboraciones del Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses con especialistas del ámbito de la psiquiatría y también de la salud pública que han permitido desarrollar un modelo integrativo de investigación de la conducta suicida dirigidas a conocer con precisión los datos relativos a las muertes por suicidio, estandarizar la investigación en suicidio y elaborar estrategias de prevención suicida efectivas frente a una causa de mortalidad prevenible
Suicide is an important public health problem. Suicide mortality, and the quality and reliability of suicide statistics are key points in monitoring and preventing suicidal behaviours. The objective of this paper is to review the contribution of forensic medicine to suicidal behaviour, to underline the importance of forensic sources to investigate risk factors, and to highlight the role of Institutes of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in suicide prevention programmes. We describe the collaboration between Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences and specialists in the fields of psychiatry and public health. This collaborative work has facilitated the development of an integrative model in the investigation of suicidal behaviour allowing more precise suicide mortality data, the standardisation of research on suicide, and the development of suicide prevention strategies to reduce a preventable cause of death
Subject(s)
Humans , Suicide/prevention & control , Suicide/statistics & numerical data , Forensic Medicine/methods , Forensic Psychology/methods , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Firesetting Behavior/psychology , Forensic Psychiatry/methods , Insanity Defense , Liability, Legal , Psychotic Disorders/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiologyABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Mortality/trends , Forensic Medicine/legislation & jurisprudence , Forensic Medicine/methods , Forensic Pathology/legislation & jurisprudence , Forensic Pathology/methods , Information Storage and Retrieval/methods , Autopsy/methods , DeathABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Preventive Psychiatry/methods , Preventive Psychiatry/trends , Psychiatry/methods , Psychiatry/organization & administration , Psychiatry/standards , Accident Prevention/methods , Accidents, Traffic/legislation & jurisprudence , Accidents, Traffic/prevention & control , Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Autopsy/instrumentation , Autopsy/methods , Autopsy/standards , Forensic Medicine/legislation & jurisprudence , Law Enforcement/ethics , Law Enforcement/methods , Forensic Medicine/methods , Forensic Medicine/statistics & numerical data , Forensic Medicine/trendsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study immediate (same day of the collision) and delayed (within 30 days of the collision) deaths due to traffic injuries in Catalonia (Spain) according to forensic sources and to assess the differences between the two kinds of deaths. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational study was conducted of all the traffic accident deaths registered in the Institute of Legal Medicine of Catalonia between January 1(st) 2005 and December 31(st) 2014. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS v.18.0 statistical package. Comparisons of proportions were based on the χ(2) test. RESULTS: During the study period, 4044 deaths due to traffic injuries were recorded. Deaths within 30 days included more women, minors, elderly people, and pedestrians than immediate deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Traffic injury deaths in the 30 days following a crash differ from immediate deaths.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Traffic/mortality , Wounds and Injuries/mortality , Academies and Institutes , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Forensic Medicine , Hospital Mortality , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Distribution , Spain/epidemiology , Time Factors , Vital Statistics , Wounds and Injuries/etiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Objetivo: Conocer las diferencias entre los fallecidos por lesiones por tráfico el mismo día de la colisión y a 30 días en Cataluña a partir de fuentes forenses. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional de los datos de fallecidos por tráfico procedentes del Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya entre el 1 de enero de 2005 y el 31 de diciembre de 2014. Los datos se analizaron con el paquete estadístico SPSS v.18.0. Las comparaciones de proporciones se realizaron mediante la prueba de χ2. Resultados: Durante el período de estudio se registraron 4044 defunciones por lesiones por tráfico. Los fallecidos a 30 días fueron el 14,7% del total e incluyeron más mujeres, menores, personas ancianas y peatones que los inmediatos. Conclusiones: Los fallecidos por lesiones en los 30 días siguientes a una colisión tienen un perfil diferente a los fallecidos en el mismo día de la colisión (AU)
Objective: To study immediate (same day of the collision) and delayed (within 30 days of the collision) deaths due to traffic injuries in Catalonia (Spain) according to forensic sources and to assess the differences between the two kinds of deaths. Material and methods: An observational study was conducted of all the traffic accident deaths registered in the Institute of Legal Medicine of Catalonia between January 1st 2005 and December 31st 2014. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS v.18.0 statistical package. Comparisons of proportions were based on the χ2 test. Results: During the study period, 4044 deaths due to traffic injuries were recorded. Deaths within 30 days included more women, minors, elderly people, and pedestrians than immediate deaths. Conclusions: Traffic injury deaths in the 30 days following a crash differ from immediate deaths (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data , Multiple Trauma/mortality , Fatal Outcome , Observational Study , Mortality/trends , Forensic Sciences/statistics & numerical data , Wounds and Injuries/mortalityABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Suicide/statistics & numerical data , Forensic Medicine , Data Analysis , Epidemiological Monitoring/trends , Information Systems , Spain/epidemiologyABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Forensic Medicine/legislation & jurisprudence , Forensic Medicine/organization & administration , Forensic Medicine/standards , Violence/legislation & jurisprudence , Public Defender Legal Services , Enacted StatutesABSTRACT
The main mission of Spanish Institutes of Legal Medicine (ILMs) is to serve the justice system. We review the potential broader role of the work done by ILMs, with an emphasis on forensic pathology. The relevance of forensic information to increase the quality of mortality statistics is highlighted, taking into account the persistence of the low validity of the external causes of death in the Mortality Register that was already detected more than a decade ago. The new statistical form and reporting system for the deaths under ILMs jurisdiction, as introduced by the Spanish Instituto Nacional de Estadística in 2009, are also described. The IMLs role in the investigation of the following mortality causes and of their determinants is reviewed in detail: traffic accidents, suicide, drugs of abuse, child deaths and sudden deaths. We conclude that an important public role of IMLs is emerging beyond their valuable service to the justice system, mainly through the gathering of data critical to assess and prevent several medical and public health and safety issues of great social impact and through their participation in epidemiologic research and surveillance.
Subject(s)
Academies and Institutes , Cause of Death , Forensic Medicine/organization & administration , Academies and Institutes/organization & administration , Accidents/mortality , Accidents, Traffic/mortality , Autopsy , Death, Sudden/epidemiology , Forensic Pathology/organization & administration , Homicide/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Infant , Infant Mortality , Social Justice , Spain/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders/mortality , Suicide/statistics & numerical data , Vital StatisticsSubject(s)
Humans , Forensic Medicine/legislation & jurisprudence , Forensic Medicine/methods , Forensic Toxicology/methods , Forensic Toxicology/organization & administration , Forensic Toxicology/trends , Sex Offenses/legislation & jurisprudence , Sex Offenses/statistics & numerical data , Sex Offenses/trends , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Forensic Toxicology/instrumentation , Forensic Toxicology/legislation & jurisprudence , Forensic Toxicology/standards , Domestic Violence/legislation & jurisprudence , Domestic Violence/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Los Institutos de Medicina Legal (IML) en España tienen como misión principal auxiliar a la administración de justicia. La presente revisión analiza la potencialidad de la información de los IML centrada en el campo de la patología forense. Se destaca la importancia de dicha información para mejorar la validez de las estadísticas de mortalidad en las defunciones con intervención judicial, especialmente la persistencia de la escasa validez de estas, ya detectada hace más de una década. Se describe también el documento estadístico y el sistema de declaración de las defunciones con intervención judicial introducidos en 2009 por el Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Se profundiza en el papel de los IML en el conocimiento de la mortalidad y algunos determinantes de ciertas causas de muerte: las debidas a lesiones por tráfico, suicidio, por reacción aguda a drogas de abuso, así como las muertes infantiles y la muerte súbita. Se concluye que la relevancia social y sanitaria de los IML se proyecta más allá de su valioso auxilio a la justicia, ya que brinda un gran servicio a la sociedad y aporta información indispensable para el conocimiento y abordaje de problemas de salud pública relativos a cuestiones de gran impacto social y sanitario (AU)
The main mission of Spanish Institutes of Legal Medicine (ILMs) is to serve the justice system. We review the potential broader role of the work done by ILMs, with an emphasis on forensic pathology. The relevance of forensic information to increase the quality of mortality statistics is highlighted, taking into account the persistence of the low validity of the external causes of death in the Mortality Register that was already detected more than a decade ago. The new statistical form and reporting system for the deaths under ILMs jurisdiction, as introduced by the Spanish Instituto Nacional de Estadística in 2009, are also described. The IMLs role in the investigation of the following mortality causes and of their determinants is reviewed in detail: traffic accidents, suicide, drugs of abuse, child deaths and sudden deaths. We conclude that an important public role of IMLs is emerging beyond their valuable service to the justice system, mainly through the gathering of data critical to assess and prevent several medical and public health and safety issues of great social impact and through their participation in epidemiologic research and surveillance (AU)
