Abuse Cases Research Articles

Exploring Swedish veterinarians' awareness of non-accidental-injuries, animal abuse and the Link to domestic violence, and their role in addressing this societal issue

Research has established a link between animal abuse and domestic violence (the Link), where the perpetrator uses the animal to control the human victim. Veterinarians are exposed to both vulnerable animals and humans, playing a crucial role in detecting and handling these cases. A study using an online survey was conducted in 2019, exploring the awareness of Swedish veterinarians regarding Non-accidental-injuries (NAI) in animals, the Link between animal abuse and domestic violence and how to handle such cases. The survey was distributed by the Swedish Veterinary Association to 2,627 licensed veterinarians and was answered by 362 respondents. One of ten had experienced the Link in their clinical work while 63% did not know if they had. The awareness of the Link was generally high (90%), whereas 68% of respondents answered that they did not know or were unsure about the concept of NAI. Almost half of the respondents (44%) felt that they were unsure about how NAI should be diagnosed, 56% did not know how NAI should be documented and a third (34%) did not know which authority should be contacted in case of suspicion of animal abuse. A minority, 17%, knew how to act when there was a reason to suspect domestic violence. The responses showed that support in the clinics is inadequate, with only 10% stating that information material and further education is offered about the Link and 17% knew of action plans or procedures for dealing with a suspected case of animal abuse. Only 16% stated that the Link was part of their education. Improving the ability of veterinarians to act appropriately requires more integrated theoretical and practical training during their university studies. At the clinic, further education, action plans and collaboration with competent authorities and organizations are crucial. It is important that resources, such as information material, guidelines, action plans and educational programs are identified and used to support veterinarians in their work to help vulnerable animals and, by extension, people, in line with the concept of One Welfare.

Physical Abuse Cases at Boarding Schools: Phenomena and Its Prevention Model

This research elaborates factors that contribute to physical abuse cases at Boarding Schools, which explained with routine activity theory and power relation theory. Besides, this research also evaluates the Minister of Education and Culture Regulation Number 82 Year 2015 On Prevention and Countermeasures of Violence in Education Unit Environment, and Law No. 18 Year 2019 on Boarding schools. Physical abuse cases that occur at Boarding schools are caused by excessive discipline implementation. Therefore, this encourages and motivates senior boarders or boarding caretaker to commit violence. This research uses qualitative method, with a live interview held at a boarding school which experiencing physical abuse cases causing loss of life. Delphi method is also used to deepen the prevention model and generate education expert insights focusing on the educational development of boarding school. This research is unveiling the extraordinary causes of violence and resulting on validated prevention model by education experts in boarding schools.

Child Maltreatment Data After Implementation of Hospital-Wide Protocol and Utilization of Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners for Child Maltreatment Cases.

Child maltreatment is a significant global health concern with significant morbidity and mortality. Sexual assault forensic examiners (SAFEs) provide a valuable skill set and may be utilized in child maltreatment evaluations. The purpose of the study was to describe patient characteristics and trends after implementation of a hospital-wide standardized child maltreatment protocol including forensic examiners in child maltreatment cases. Data from January 2017 through December 2022 were retrospectively collected and reviewed on all children under 18 years old who had a child maltreatment evaluation after initiation of a standardized child maltreatment screening process and protocol incorporating SAFE forensic evaluations at a tertiary care Level 1 trauma center. From January 2017 through December 2022, there were 764 child maltreatment evaluations of 742 total patients completed, with 763 (99.9%) evaluations completed by a trained SAFE. There were 378 examinations (49%) completed in children under 2 years old, 281 (37%) in children 2 years old until the 10th birthday, and the remaining 105 (14%) in children 10 years and older. The overall number of cases increased since the initiation of standardized screening and protocol from 68 cases in 2017 to 158 cases in 2022, with peak of 167 cases in 2020. SAFE-trained providers can be successfully incorporated in the multidisciplinary evaluation of child maltreatment patients and can add invaluable education, forensic documentation, and standardization of practice in the care of this vulnerable population.

Faktor Penyebab dan Upaya Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Guru Yang Dianiaya Oleh Oknum Orang Tua Siswa di SD Negeri Naikoten II

Currently, the world of education can be said to be facing a crisis of value as the development of the dynamics of community life. The world of education in this era faces complex problems that can hinder the achievement of educational goals. These problems arise either because of internal factors or external factors. This study uses empirical legal research methods that examine how the law works in society. Aspects of the study examined the causes of violence committed by parents to teachers and forms of legal protection for teachers who experience violence. The results found that: (1) the factors that make the perpetrators (parents) abuse the teacher caused by lack of socialization and coordination between the school and the parents. The lack of socialization and coordination makes the perpetrators (parents) angry and emotional so they think of mistreating the teacher. Lack of accurate information that makes parents misunderstand the treatment of teachers to their children while at school that causes parents to start emotions and abuse such as beatings. (2) efforts made as a form of protection against cases of abuse against teachers by parents of students are realized through preventive actions by appealing to the public to immediately report to the authorities in the event of a crime including the crime of abuse by unscrupulous parents of students against teachers in the school environment.Suggestions from this study: (1) it is expected that the government and all related agencies in terms of improving education through schools, it is good to teach teachers with methods adapted to the current global conditions, so that teachers can better answer the challenges of the times in terms of education and the condition of students then and now is very much different. (2) expected for all parties concerned, both the police, legal aid agencies, witness and victim protection institutions of the government and the community to continue to improve cooperation in an integrated manner in tackling the occurrence of crime, especially crime cases of abuse by unscrupulous parents of students against teachers.

PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM TERHADAP ANAK KORBAN TINDAK PIDANA PELECEHAN SEKSUAL

To the effect of inscriptive it is subject to be know protection principle sentences to sexual abuse victim child base child protection laws and know LPA roles in give protection to sexual abuse victim child. Observational type that is utilized is observational Normative Empiric. Empirical research, are a methodic functioning law research to see law in real mean and analyzing how works it law at environmentally Society. Can be said that jurisdictional research that taken from by aught fact in a society. Of description upon can be concluded that sexual abuse no is gone, added by all pro con at in it. Sexual abuse really frequent happening on notably, Female and child, but doesn't close that possible boy also there is that experiences sexual abuse. Severally of sexual abuse victim consciously comes directly report instance and consul goes to psychologist. But a lot of sexual abuse case that doesn't be detected because victim it shame overshoot to tell that thing to others by takes on alone charges. There is factor even other causative averse victim consults since having cold feet to reveal tells on others, caused by cost limit, time and place and culture factor, psychological another.

Una revisión sistemática de las estrategias clave para profesores y padres para el desarrollo de una intervención eficaz que ayuda a reducir el riesgo de abuso sexual infantil en línea.

With the advent of new technologies, cases of online child sexual abuse have become notoriously widespread, rendering it necessary for both teachers and parents to know how to deal with this phenomenon. The aim of this study was to find out which were the main interventions and strategies that both teachers and parents could apply within their immediate environment to reduce the risk of online child sexual harassment. Using the PRISMA approach for systematic reviews, all literature about strategies and interventions for reducing the risk of online child sexual abuse from a variety of databases was analyzed. When possible, Cohen’s d was used to measure the effect size of the interventions. Based on 38 included papers out of a total of 5644, it was found 13 strategies that teachers could commonly use with their students, such as reading real-life testimonies of grooming, as well as 7 strategies that parents could commonly use with their children, such as establishing rules about the use of the internet. The effect sizes showed a reduction in the prevalence of grooming [Experimental (d = -.71 to -.03); Control (d = .00 to .50)] and an increase in knowledge and attitudes [Experimental (d = .45 to 1.66); Control (d = -.03 to .22)] in favor of the students that participated in the interventions. The present results suggest that using these kind of interventions and strategies may bring positive results for children and teenagers in order to prevent and cope with online child sexual abuse.

Pathways to Homelessness: Childhood Maltreatment and Psychiatric Symptoms Increase Risk of Homelessness.

Homelessness is a serious and increasing public health concern. Childhood maltreatment and psychiatric problems have been associated with homelessness as risk factors; however, reliance on cross-sectional studies introduces ambiguity into interpreting previous findings. This study seeks to understand whether psychiatric symptoms in part explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and homelessness. The authors used data from a prospective cohort design study in which individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and a demographically matched group of children without those histories (N=1,196) were followed up into middle adulthood and interviewed. Psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], antisocial personality disorder [ASPD], and alcohol and drug use) were assessed at mean age 29. Homelessness was assessed at mean ages 29, 39, 41, and 47 years. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation. Twice as many individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment reported ever being homeless (25.6% vs. 12.3%, AOR=2.54, 95% CI= 1.86-3.50) and past year homelessness (5.5% vs. 2.5%, AOR=2.09, 95% CI=1.31-3.43) at age 29, compared to controls. Controlling for past homelessness, psychiatric symptoms predicted future homelessness at mean ages 41 and 47. Three significant paths from childhood maltreatment to future homelessness were identified through depression, PTSD, and ASPD. This longitudinal study with documented cases of childhood maltreatment found that psychiatric symptoms earlier in life predict homelessness. Depression, PTSD, and ASPD represent pathways through which childhood maltreatment increases homelessness risk and warrant greater attention.

Article: The De Minimis Exclusions in the ATAD’s CFC Rules: A Normative Analysis

This study undertakes a normative analysis of the four de minimis exclusions in the controlled foreign company (CFC) rules of Article 7 of the European Union’s (EU’s) Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD). In the EU, CFC legislation inherently restricts either the freedom of establishment or the free movement of capital. Case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) confirms that, for this restriction to be permissible, the scope of application of CFC legislation must be limited to only capture income from wholly artificial arrangements. First, this study evaluates the design of the four different de minimis exclusions in Article 7 against their stated objective to limit the administrative burden and compliance costs in order to ascertain their (relative) effectiveness. Second, the normative coherence of these provisions is evaluated in the context of the limited application – only to cases of abuse – of the CFC rules in the EU. The study finds that the de minimis exclusions pertaining to Model A (in Article 7(3)) are only effective to a limited extent in achieving their objective and could be redesigned to improve their effectiveness. Further, those pertaining to Model B (in Article 7(4)) are not normatively coherent in an EU context. Therefore, their inclusion cannot be justified, and it is recommended that they be deleted.

Urgensi Perlindungan Hak dan Implementasi Pemberian Restitusi bagi Anak Korban Pelecehan Seksual

Cases of child sexual abuse have become a serious concern in various countries, including Indonesia. Children, as a vulnerable group, often become victims of sexual crimes, and the impact is not only on the physical aspect but also on their psychological well-being and overall development. Sexual abuse experienced by children can cause long-lasting trauma and affect their quality of life in the future. This research uses the normative legal research method, which relies on the study of library materials. Normative legal research is a type of research conducted through the examination of secondary data or library materials. Cases of child sexual abuse are one of the serious issues that need special attention within the legal system in Indonesia. Children, as a vulnerable group, often become victims of this crime, which not only leaves physical impacts but also deep and long-lasting psychological trauma. The urgency of this protection is not separate from the significant challenges faced in the Indonesian legal system, which still needs to be improved in providing guarantees of protection for child victims of sexual abuse.

Identifying Javanese cultural norms and addressing politeness maxims in mitigating verbal sexual violence

In 2023, Yogyakarta Province has documented 308 instances of sexual violence, including cases of verbal abuse. This fact is surprising given Yogyakarta's unique position as a cultural showcase in Indonesia, which is particularly evident in its depictions of politeness and identity. In contrast, Yogyakarta's Javanese propriety culture, known as unggah-ungguh, functions as a vital protective mechanism for its community by integrating local cultural components. This distinctive cultural politeness parallels Leech's Six Maxims of Politeness: Tact Maxim, Generosity Maxim, Approbation Maxim, Modesty Maxim, Agreement Maxim, and Sympathy Maxim. This research examines the correlation between these maxims and Javanese parenting practices as delineated in publications by the Department of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, and Population Control of Yogyakarta, aimed at educators and parents in Yogyakarta, emphasizing the significance of courteous communication and virtuous conduct grounded in Javanese tradition. Strengthening the initiative from school to university levels, together with adequate support from family and community, may lead to a reduction in verbal sexual assault.

Vicarious Liability Restricted for Intentional Torts in English Law: Trustees of the Barry Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses v BXB

Abstract Trustees of the Barry Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses v BXB, a sexual abuse case, is the latest UK Supreme Court judgment on vicarious liability. This case note is critical of the substantive judgment, as well as the court’s method of arriving at it. The case note argues that the Supreme Court allowed the appeal on tenuous grounds. Further, the practical effect of the judgment is unwelcome. As a result of this case, it will be harder for survivors of sexual abuse to demonstrate vicarious liability because they will find it difficult to show a naturally close connection between intentional torts and authorised employment activities. Lastly, the case note criticises the Supreme Court’s treatment of the facts and the language it used.

Variability in choosing to report child maltreatment cases by pediatric emergency medicine physicians

BackgroundChild maltreatment is a significant public health problem. Emergency departments are often the first contact points for suspected child maltreatment. Variability in the decision of whether or not to report maltreatment cases to Child Protective Services (CPS) may lead to missed opportunities for diagnosis and intervention or unnecessary medical and social interventions. ObjectiveTo evaluate the variability in choosing to report child maltreatment cases among emergency department physicians. Participantsand Setting: Our survey was conducted on Emergency physicians through the PED-EM-L@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU listserv MethodsWe queried emergency physicians with a 19-question survey. Seven clinical scenarios were designed by our Pediatric Emergency division in consultation with a child abuse specialist. Scenarios were created with varying degrees of suspicion for child maltreatment. Our survey asked physicians if they would report each case to CPS. We collected demographic information regarding the physician, their work setting, and their patient population. The responses for individual scenarios were analyzed as percentages and compared with demographic data by Fisher's exact test. Our survey received 307 responses. ResultsMost of our 307 respondents are specialized in pediatric emergency medicine (95.6%). Of the seven scenarios, physicians near-unanimously (99.3%, 95% CI 97.9–99.9%) agreed in only one scenario. For the other six scenarios, agreement ranged from 54.4% (95%CI: 48.8–59.9%) to 80.1% (95%CI: 75.4–84.3%). Demographics, including physician age, gender, ethnicity, years of experience, population ethnicity, and hospital location, did not explain variability in choosing to report to CPS. ConclusionOur study shows significant variability in reporting child maltreatment cases, not explained by hospital or physician demographics.

Law Enforcement against Perpetrators of Child Grooming Sexual Abuse at the Tebing Tinggi Police Resort: An Islamic Criminal Law Perspective

This study aims to identify cases of child grooming sexual abuse in Tebing Tinggi City, identify the types of sanctions that can be imposed on groomers from the perspective of Islamic criminal law, and examine the law enforcement efforts undertaken by the Tebing Tinggi Police Resort in handling these cases. This research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining field research and normative legal analysis. The collected data is then analyzed qualitatively to describe the issue and address the research objectives. The results show that child grooming cases at the Tebing Tinggi Police Resort fluctuated throughout 2019-2024, with a significant surge of 70 cases in 2023. The standard modus operandi involves establishing an emotional relationship and trust between the groomer and the victim, which the groomer then exploits to commit sexual abuse. From the perspective of Islamic criminal law, groomers can be subjected to hadd punishment if sexual intercourse occurs or ta’zir punishment if only sexual abuse without intercourse takes place. Simultaneously, the Tebing Tinggi Police Resort has carried out its law enforcement function both repressively, through the process of investigation, inquiry, and determination of suspects based on the provisions of Law Number 8 of 1981 and Law Number 23 of 2002, and preventively, through education and outreach programs. Therefore, it is recommended that the Tebing Tinggi Police Resort, the Tebing Tinggi City Government, community institutions, religious leaders, families, and parents enhance their efforts in preventing and handling child grooming comprehensively and continuously.

Implementation of network management in child protection policy: Analysis of mobilization strategy in Makassar City

This study aims to examine network management in the implementation of child protection policies in Makassar City, with a focus on mobilization strategies implemented by the Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (DP3A). The research method used is a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through interviews, observations, and document studies. Informants in this study include representatives from DP3A, Makassar Police, Institute for Public Policy Studies (LSKP), and other related institutions. The results show that the mobilization strategy implemented by DP3A Makassar City, which includes motivating and rewarding networks, utilizing digital platforms, and cross-sector collaboration, has succeeded in increasing the effectiveness of child protection policy implementation. This success is in line with network management theory. DP3A Makassar City has managed to gather and utilize various resources, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and accelerate responses to child abuse cases. The use of digital platforms and continuous evaluation are also key factors in the success of child protection efforts in Makassar City. This research provides recommendations for strengthening inter-agency coordination and collaboration through the establishment of regular coordination forums, developing efficient information and data exchange mechanisms, and establishing an integrated referral system. Future research is expected to develop a network management model or framework that can be adapted and applied in the context of child protection at the local, regional and national levels in Indonesia.

Estimating the Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect Among Adolescents in Primary Care Through Diagnoses Codes and Free-Text EHR Clinical Notes

IntroductionAdolescents’ child abuse and neglect experiences are often under-documented in primary care, leading to missed opportunities for interventions. This study compares the prevalence of child abuse and neglect cases identified by diagnostic codes versus a natural language processing approach of clinical notes. MethodWe retrospectively analyzed data from 8,157 adolescents, using ICD-10 codes and a natural language processing algorithm to identify child abuse and neglect cases and applied topic modeling on clinical notes to extract prevalent topics. ResultsThe natural language processing approach identified more cases of child abuse and neglect cases (n = 294) compared to ICD-10 codes (n = 111). Additionally, topic modeling of clinical notes showed the multifaceted nature of child abuse and neglect as captured in clinical narratives. DiscussionIntegrating natural language processing with ICD codes has the potential to enhance the identification and documentation of child abuse and neglect, which could lead to earlier and more targeted interventions and coordinated care.

National study of child sexual abuse cases in Oman: Characteristics and medical-legal outcomes

BackgroundTo stay abreast of the best international practices, the Arab Gulf countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty, which includes clauses on safeguarding the well-being of children against child abuse and neglect. The enactment of laws, policies, and facilities designed to protect the rights of the child has not yet been studied to determine whether it leads to appropriate legal dispositions against perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Oman. AimsThis study has been launched to address two interrelated objectives; (i) describe the characteristics of CSA victims and perpetrators and (ii) examine factors associated with medicolegal findings and judicial results for CSA complainants in Oman. MethodsData come from a retrospective survey that covered one year from January 2017 to December 2017. Data from participants who met the study criteria were drawn from statistics published by the Oman Public Prosecution. The study was designed to obtain sociodemographic characteristics of victims and perpetrators of CSA, the types of prevalent cases of CSA, whether CSA was the result of family or extrafamilial encounters, and the characteristics of medical findings and legal results. ResultDuring the designated period, 269 victims and 269 defendants were identified. Most of the victims were boys (55.8 %), and their ages ranged from 9 to 15 years (mean age 12 years). Among the perpetrators, all were men, with ages ranging between 20 and 40 years (mean age 28.3 years). The vast majority (96.7 %) of reported cases were of extrafamilial type. The identified types of CSA constituted inappropriate sexual behavior towards children (63 %), followed by sodomization (26 %) and vaginal coitus (7.1 %). The factors that explained the results in favour of the victims in the medicolegal findings included the female sex of the victim (AOR = 2.78, 95%CI = 1.01–7.87), and the ages of the victim between 8 and 12 years (AOR = 4.29, 95 % CI = 1.51–12.16). Among the cases that were tried in court, 76 % were convicted and sentenced to an average of 30 months in correctional facilities. Factors associated with the conviction of the perpetrator were victims' ages between 13 and 17 years (AOR = 3.45, 95 % CI = 1.22 to 9.79), the type of abuse was sodomization (AOR = 1.95, 95%CI = 1.08–6.78), and cases that included positive forensic results (AOR = 2.66, 95 % CI = 1.23 to 8.45). DiscussionTo date, studies on medical-legal and judicial outcomes of CSA in developing countries have received little attention. The present sentinel study lays the foundation for future studies using the robust methodology required to further scrutinize the medicolegal findings and judicial results of CSA in similar regions of the Middle East. The present findings also suggest that the CSA trends in Oman tend to echo those reported from developed countries, but there are also culture-specific factors that shape reporting, as well as medico-legal and judicial outcomes.

Cases of Corruption and Gender and Development Funds in the Philippines

This paper examines corruption-related activities concerning the utilization of Gender and Development (GAD) funds in the country. This study also consolidated cases of abuse of power, mismanagement of resources, malversation, and/or embezzlement in the Budget Policy and framework of Gender and Development implementation. This paper used document review as its primary method of gathering data and paper analysis of the Commission on Audit (COA) and Sandiganbayan decisions and Budget Policy implementation of Gender and Development Funds. Moreover, This paper suggests research-based recommendations for implementing gender-responsive Projects, Programs, and Activities (PPAs) and enhancement of Gender-based policy formation. Findings revealed that most of the cases of abuse in using GAD funds were initially from the inefficiency of institutions and persons in authority to identify existing gender issues. The lack of knowledge on GAD budget policy implementation and lack of accountability measures in the GAD budget framework makes the GAD fund volatile for corruption-related activities of leaders and managers. Thus, the identified corrupt-related practices undermine the processes of GAD budget policy/framework.

Anti-Carceral Approaches to Addressing Harms Against Animals: Considerations on Multispecies Restorative and Transformative Justice

The animal protection movement has developed an increasingly close working relationship with the criminal punishment system through lobbying and campaigning for harsher punishments for animal abuse, while at the same time showing an interest in restorative justice (RJ) as a response to harm against animals. In this article, we take a critical position aligned with anti-carceral feminists and prison abolitionists against the carceral systems that fail humans and animals in circumstances of violence. We consider the potential of RJ as an alternative approach to address and prevent harm against animals in abuse cases on an individual level while highlighting the limitations of RJ in achieving the necessary changes on a societal level to end structurally produced violence against animals, such as industrial animal exploitation. We propose that transformative justice (TJ), which involves some RJ processes, is the most promising approach that could achieve justice for both humans and nonhumans in the long term without reproducing traumas and violence for the individuals and communities involved in harm reduction and prevention. Drawing on examples of RJ and TJ as developed and practised in marginalized human communities, we apply their lessons to thinking through similar practices in the context of animal abuse and neglect.

Entre vozes e silêncios

The field of legal anthropology has widely debated Indigenous Peoples’ justice practices. However, the legal perspective of sexual offenses remains understudied. In this respect, this paper depicts the Arhuaco people's justice system, from the spiritual and political entities to the procedure, and sanctions, touching upon how the homogenized society influences Indigenous People’s justice in Arhuaco society. Furthermore, this work explores how the Arhuaco people resolve cases in which community members are allegedly responsible for committing sexual crimes. It also highlights some challenges connected to raising this type of offense and its lack of trust in authorities, disregard for the victim's version, and the difficulty of verifying these cases. During the fieldwork in the Arhuaco territory, the applied method follows some parameters of the procedural paradigm-legal conscience studies as an interpretive framework to understand how the Arhuaco women conceive the legal phenomenon. As a result, this study offers some insights into the Arhuaco women's perceptions of justice, specifically concerning sexual abuse cases. Such a perception is analyzed based on the Arhuaco women's political position, cultural and lineage origin, illustrating how they constantly go through inter-legality practices to claim justice for sexual offenses.

Findings of synthetic cathinones in post-mortem toxicology

Synthetic cathinones (SCs) are a group of new psychoactive substances with amphetamine-like effects but generally higher potency. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and significance of SCs in post-mortem (PM) investigations in Finland, focusing on the three most prevalent substances: α-PVP, α-PHP, and α-PiHP. All PM cases positive for SCs during 2018–2023 were investigated with respect to cause and manner of death, PM blood and urine concentrations, and concomitant use of other drugs of abuse. There were 136 findings of α-PVP, α-PHP, or α-PiHP in 118 death cases, in which the median age at death was 35 years and 82 % were males. Concomitant opioids, stimulants, or sedatives were found in 69–92 % of cases, and cannabis in 39–47 %. In two cases (1.7 %), SCs were the only findings of abused drugs. Thirty-four fatal poisonings (29 %) were identified in which at least one of the three SCs was implicated in the cause of death. The median (range) femoral blood concentrations of α-PVP, α-PHP, and α-PiHP in these poisoning cases were 0.18 (0.03–2.6) mg/L, 0.16 (0.02–0.58) mg/L, and 0.14 (0.03–2.1) mg/L, respectively. α-PVP, α-PHP and α-PiHP were found in 4.0 % of all drug abuse cases and in 2.7 % of all fatal poisonings related to drug abuse, while for amphetamine/methamphetamine, these figures were 44 % and 21 %, respectively. Despite their lower prevalence in PM cases, SCs appear to have similar abuse liability and similar drug use patterns to amphetamine.