Cases of homicide in Senegal in medicolegal autopsies during the period from 2017 to 2021

Abstract

Introduction: In case of death by homicide or suspicious death, unidentified deceased bodies, a judicial procedure is opened and a requisition for an autopsy is systematically requested from the medical examiner, whose purpose is to identify the causes and circumstances of death. The objective of this study is to determine the epidemiological and medico-legal aspects of violent deaths by homicides involving a medico-legal obstacle in Senegal. Methodology: Our study was carried out in public hospital structures in Senegal. This is a retrospective study based on data collected in judicial requisitions, autopsy reports and in registers from January 2017 to December 2021. It concerned all cases of death that have benefited from a forensic autopsy following a judicial requisition. Results: During the study period, violent deaths constituted the most represented forensic form with 53.4% of autopsies performed, ahead of natural deaths with 42.4%. The average age of the deceased subjects was 37 years with a male predominance in 242 cases (78%).The place of death or discovery of the corpse was in Rural Dakar .Violent deaths by homicides accounted for 12.5% of cases. Thus, in the cases of homicides, intentional assault and wounding by a knife were in the foreground with 71.2% followed by infanticide 15%. Conclusion: Homicide deaths are violent deaths that represent a public health problem due to unemployment, poverty and economic crises. Thus, the information collected from forensic sources provides information about the victims, the causes and circumstances of death. Improving the collection of data on the perpetrators of homicides requires detailed databases on homicides during investigations and after judicial sanctions , to have a more complete overview of homicide profiles and homicide prevention strategies at national level.