FU Berlin Digitale Dissertation
Hans-Jürgen Raatschen : Suicide by self-immolation in Berlin 1990 - 2000 Suizide durch Selbstverbrennung
|Abstract| |Table of Contents| |More Information|

Abstract The forensic autopsy cases of suicide by self-immolation in Berlin from 1990 to 2000 have been investigated retrospectively. There were 47 cases, representing 0.78 % of all known suicides committed in Berlin during this period. As reported in some other studies, two thirds of these individuals had a history of mental distur-bances. In only two cases political reasons appeared to be the motives for the self-immolation. Three quarters of the individuals have been male. The mean age was 44 years. The location of the self-immolation was outdoors in 66 %, the rest was indoors, except for three victims, who committed suicide in their cars. In nearly all cases, the suicides had doused themselves with an inflammable liquid, usually petrol. The median body surface burnt was 78 %. 60 % of the victims died at the location of their self-immolation, 21 % survived for more than 24 hours. 34 % of the individuals died exclusively from their extensive burns, 21 % from a combination of severe burns and smoke intoxication or inhalation trauma (15 %). The initially surviving victims died of multiple organ failure or septic complications due to severe burns. Only a few victims have been under mentionable influence of alcohol or drugs. More than one third of the victims had a history of suicide attempts. For the distinction of suicide from homicide or accidental burning the investigation of soot in the airways and carboxyhemoglobin is most important. The cooperation of forensic scientists and investigation authorities is unalterable, and the forensic examination of fire victims at the scene should be as evident as the autopsy of these individuals.

Table of Contents Download the whole PhDthesis as a zip-tar file or as zip-File For download in PDF format click the chapter title Titel und Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Einleitung 5 Fälle und Methoden 8 Ergebnisse 9 Diskussion 22 Fazit 43 Zusammenfassung 45 Bildmaterial 47 Literaturverzeichnis 53 Danksagung 59 Lebenslauf 60

More Information:
Online available:	http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/2002/171/indexe.html
Language of PhDThesis:	german
Keywords:	suicide, self-immolation, legal medicine
DNB-Sachgruppe:	33 Medizin
Date of disputation:	13-Sep-2002
PhDThesis from:	Fachbereich Humanmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin
First Referee:	Prof. Dr. Markus A. Rothschild
Second Referee:	Prof. Dr. Gunther Geserick
Contact (Author):	hans-juergen.raatschen@medizin.fu-berlin.de
Contact (Advisor):	m.rothschild@medizin.uni-koeln.de
Date created:	29-Aug-2002
Date available:	04-Sep-2002

 

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