Death in detention in Dakar prisons: epidemiological and medicolegal aspects

Abstract

Introduction: The death of a prisoner is a suspicious death requiring systematic medico-legal involvement to determine the circumstances and causes of death. The objective of this study is to determine the profile of people who died in detention in Dakar prisons, to analyze the epidemiological and medicolegal aspects and to propose some preventive measures. Methodology: This is a retrospective study analyzing the causes of death of prisoners in prisons in the Dakar region who were autopsied, from January 2014 to December 2018 in the pathological anatomy and cytology department of the Aristide Le Hospital. Dantec. The data was collected from autopsy reports upon requisition with the aim of determining the circumstances and causes of death of the detainees. Our data was collected using individual collection sheets and subsequently analyzed with Word and Excel software. Results: The average age of the deceased prisoners was 42.4 years. The most represented age group was between 30 and 39 years old with 02 cases/06 or 33.3% with a male predominance. The three penitentiary establishments among the eight (08) recorded cases of death in our study. The Rebeuss Prison recorded 4 cases of death, the Liberty VI Penal Camp and the Special Pavilion each recorded one (01) case of death. Regarding the circumstances of death of detainees, we have identified five (05) cases of natural deaths: three cases of cardiac arrest (myocardial infarction, and or acute pulmonary edema), one suffocation and one case of death of unknown etiology, and a violent death by firearm. Conclusion: Death in a prison environment must be considered suspicious, because people deprived of their liberty have the same right to respect for their life and their dignity as any other person. Our research shows that most deaths in custody are due to natural causes, untreated medical problems or violent deaths. To limit deaths in prison, authorities must take preventive measures to eradicate the causes.