Accidental strangulation in adulthood

作者：Madea B^*; Rittner C

来源：Rechtsmedizin, 2014, 24(1): 18-21.

DOI：10.1007/s00194-013-0924-3

• Accidental falls
• Male
• Forked tree branch
• Autopsy
• Reconstruction

Victims of accidental strangulation are normally either babies and infants or men who die during an autoerotic practice. Accidental strangulation in adulthood without an autoerotic practice has only rarely been described. This article presents a case which occurred in Bonn more than 40 years ago. A 49-year-old physician was found in the woods below the clinic after having been seen alive in the clinic shortly before. He was found with his neck in the fork of two branches of a tree. After admission to hospital he was declared dead. Due to the small distance between the branches, the head had not sunk to the base of the fork. The victim had obviously tried to take a shortcut and did not use the normal path but walked along the steeply inclined path and accidentally stumbled and fell into the fork of the branches. There were no suicidal tendencies. The circumstances at the scene, the case history and the autopsy findings were indicative of an accident.

• 出版日期2014-2