title: [Fatal child abuse (caused by physical violence) in Germany during 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990. Results of a multicenter study].
abstract: No reliable data are available on cases of lethal child abuse (by active force) in the area of Federal Republic of Germany prior to reunification (the former West Germany). In a multicenter study we therefore examined the police and court records for such cases occurring in the period 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990 in nearly the entire area of Federal Republic of Germany.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study center received information on 58 cases of lethal child abuse. Extrapolated to all institutes of legal medicine, this corresponds to 62 cases in all of West Germany in the period studied. An approximately equal number of unreported cases should be added to this figure. Including unreported cases, at least 20 cases of lethal child abuse occurred per year; thus only one in every two cases ever came to light. Almost two thirds of the victims were younger than one year old. At autopsy 59% exhibited signs of repeated abuse at autopsy. By far the most common cause of death was direct impact from a blunt object, usually to the head. Mostly, the male person to whom the victim relates most closely (father, stepfather, partner of the mother) has killed the child. Twenty-one of the 74 persons charged saw the charges against them dropped or were acquitted due to lack of evidence; 51 received sentences ranging from one year probation to life. In the remaining two cases the outcome of the trial was unknown. Signs of abuse were readily apparent at autopsy in almost all cases. The high number of unreported cases underscores the need to educate medical students and practicing physicians to be on the look-out for signs of abuse and argues for an increase in the rate of autopsy.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Leipzig.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vock
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Trauth
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Althoff
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bonte
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gerling
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graw
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartge
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hilgermann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Höhmann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kampmann
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kleemann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleiber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lasczkowski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leukel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lignitz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madea
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Metter
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pedal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramms
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheller
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilske
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001497:Battered Child Syndrome / Q000401:mortality*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000401:mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014754:Violence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
vernacular_title: Tödliche Kindesmisshandlung (durch physische Gewalteinwirkung) in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland im Zeitraum 1.1.1985 bis 2.10.1990. Ergebnisse einer multizentrischen Studie.