title: [Discovery of externally unremarkable case of homicide of an infant].
abstract: The court-ordered autopsy of an infant who had died 26 days after delivery unexpectedly revealed a fatal head injury. As external inspection of the body had not shown any traces of violence sudden infant death had at first been assumed. At autopsy a linear fracture of the skull and a subdural haematoma was found. Subsequent investigations showed that the father had thrown the baby into the air while playing with it, that he had failed to catch it and that it had fallen downwards heavily hitting the wooden armrest of a couch with the parietal region. As an example of a manslaughter without any external signs of trauma the case illustrates the importance of forensic autopsies in all cases of unexpected death.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universität Freiburg.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Perdekamp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bohnert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ropohl
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007237:Infanticide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000473:pathology*; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000473:pathology*
vernacular_title: Aufdeckung eines äusserlich spurenlosen Tötungsdeliktes an einem Säugling.