title: [Homicides without clues in children].
abstract: From 1990 to 1995, 274 deaths of infants (age range 7 days-6 years) were investigated in Münster, where there were no indications of suspicious circumstances. In 167 cases a legal autopsy was carried out and revealed 5 homicides. In 107 cases where an autopsy was not ordered by the prosecutor 3 homicides were discovered. A similar frequency of homicides in both groups indicates that the criteria used to form the basis of a decision by the prosecutor to release the body are insufficient. On average one out of 30 cases was found to be a homicide as the result of the autopsy where the initial assumption was death from natural causes.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Münster.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Du Chesne
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bajanowski
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003644:Death Certificates / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007237:Infanticide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008297:Male
vernacular_title: Spurenarme Tötungsdelikte an Kindern.