A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine (MMed), Johannesburg, 2018 / Mob justice fatalities are a gross violation of human rights in that they represent extra-legal punishment. There is a paucity of research relating to the demographics of at-risk groups, nature of injuries and the impact to the Forensic Pathology Service (FPS). This was a retrospective study over 10 years at Germiston Forensic Pathology medico-legal service. The objectives were to describe the demographics of the deceased, identify the profile of at-risk groups, describe the trends of the number of fatalities and causes of death over time, assess hospitalisation frequency, describe the nature and location of injuries sustained, and to report on ancillary investigations performed. Data was collected from the South African Police Service (SAPS) 180 scene investigation record form, hospital notes, final post mortem report, Notification of death (BI1663) form and additional statements. 354 cases were analysed. There was no clear trend in the number of mob justice fatalities. Six areas were highlighted to have a higher incidence of mob justice fatalities. The at-risk population was young to middleaged black South African males. The majority of deaths were due to blunt force head injury, and were so severe that most deaths occurred within 24 hours of injury. A standardised operating procedure should be developed for uniformity in managing mob justice cases. Adequate resources should be distributed to appropriate departments to enable a reasonable turnaround time of ancillary investigations and high incidence areas should receive sufficient and appropriately skilled resources to engage with and monitor the respective communities to curb these killings. / XL2019

In South Africa, the high rate of violent deaths, the lack of proper identification documents, and internal migration within the country stemming from the previous socio-political dispensation of society, has led to a high incidence of unidentified human bodies being found, a large proportion of which are skeletal remains, mainly of indigent Black persons. The low incidence of dental records, especially in disadvantaged, rural populations adds to the failure of identification. Without positive identification of individuals, an inquest or criminal case cannot succeed. In routine post mortem practice, only broad groupings of identity are recorded before disposal of remains. The basic rights of these deceased individuals to be properly identified with regards to police investigations and other legal, religious and cultural requirements are disregarded. Further, a large number of persons are reported missing on a daily basis in the country, some never to be found. This study suggests that national legislation be developed to allow for the administration of affairs in respect of missing persons and unidentified bodies, with regulations under this to provide for the mandatory preservation and storage of all medical and radiological records, a national policy and a national plan of action be established to deal with the burden of missing persons and found bodies, and the establishment of a central database of records of unidentified bodies and missing persons. The study also reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available human identification techniques that can be used to facilitate the identification of bodies, and by use of a case report, proposes to demonstrate to the South African Courts that frontal sinus radiographic identification comprises a useful, rapid and inexpensive method as an application in forensic science that can be compared to the individuality of fingerprints, and serves as a reliable additional method in establishing human identity. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

The identification of the sex and age-at-death of an individual is of primary importance in the analysis and description of adult human skeletal remains in both forensic and archaeological contexts. Many current methods of sex and age determination have been derived on a very small number of skeletal collections and critical evaluations of their reliability on material of different provenance have been few. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the utility of methods (a) in widespread use for age and sex estimation, or (b) even if not in widespread use but offering particular advantages and (c) derived during the course of this investigation with a view designed to improving accuracy of prediction and ease of application. Three European skeletal series of documented age and sex of different temporal origins were used for this evaluation. Only non-destructive tests were evaluated. For sex determination metric and non-metric observations from the innominate were tested, as it is generally considered the most dimorphic area of the adult skeleton. The discriminatory potential of long bone dimensions was also assessed since they tend to survive inhumation better than the innominate and may be the only skeletal material represented in fragmentary remains. Pubic symphyseal metamorphosis is probably the most frequently used method for age-at-death estimation and its utility as a predictor of chronological age was examined as was the degree of degenerative joint disease as evidenced from the long bones. A method was devised based on estimates of bone loss from radiographs and densitometric traces of the humerus. It provided the lowest standard error of estimate in age-at-death assessment. Many of the methods in current use proved less efficient in sex and age identification in the samples investigated than on the material on which they were derived. The reasons for this, and the implications for the reconstruction of biological identity from skeletal remains are discussed and recommendations for age and sex estimations on the innominate and long bones are made.

Thesis (M. Med. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-157).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-157) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Med. (Forensic Pathology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Introduction and background: Hanging deaths contribute to premature mortality locally and globally. Aim: The study aimed to provide a profile of hanging deaths in Polokwane and Lebowakgomo Forensic Pathology Service laboratories in the Limpopo Province. Method: A quantitative retrospective study was conducted using sample size of 141 hanging death victims that were selected using systematic random sampling from hanging deaths admitted to Polokwane and Lebowakgomo Forensic Pathology Service laboratories over a period of 2 years. Results: The study revealed that majority of hanging deaths were adults aged 20-29. There was male predominance and majority of the victims were unemployed. The hanging deaths victims were mostly discovered in the morning and the peak period was over the weekend. The peak season was summer. The post-mortem neck findings included visible ligature mark, located above the thyroid cartilage and there were few associated injuries on the internal neck structures. The alleged manner of death of the cases was predominantly suicide, few of the deaths were homicide hanging deaths and no there were no reported accidental cases. Conclusion: The profile of hanging deaths identified was similar to that of reviewed literature. .

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Thesis (M. A.)--Roger Williams University, 2009. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Oct. 29, 2009) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2007. / Vita. Appendix: leaves 113-114. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-118).