Potential Errors in Forensic Medicine Practice: Case reports and literature review

Abstract

In Egypt, the Forensic Medicine profession is a multidisciplinary medical specialty that mainly deals with the examination of deceased persons suspected to have been injured or killed by external influence such as trauma or intoxication. In addition, clinical forensic medicine deals with living persons with violent injuries either intentional or accidental like those resulting from medical errors, sexual assaults or age determination. The forensic medical examiner may be confronted with challenging cases of burned, decomposed, or dismembered bodies. Although the legislation regarding forensic pathology differs between countries, a universal principle is that in the investigation of a possible or suspected criminal death, a forensic examiner is engaged through a formal request from the police or the prosecutor as a medical expert for justice. However, unlike many other medical specialties, malpractice in forensic medicine profession is an issue seldom presented in literature worldwide. The current study aim was to shed lights on some cases as different examples of potential forensic malpractice in Egypt. The five cases discussed indicated that there are several unique features of errors in the performance of medico-legal autopsies beside systematic legal errors that can all distort investigation outcome or interpretation with subsequent unjust sentences or decisions. Those task-specific errors need to be tackled by adopting efficient and different training and qualification policies alongside supporting legislation and financial aids for funding additional complementary facilities.