Homicide by blunt force in 2 Scandinavian capitals.
In the Oslo and Copenhagen areas, 77 instances of blunt force homicides were committed from 1985-1994, accounting for 18% of all homicides in that 10-year period. Fifty-four (70%) of the victims were male, often killed by an acquaintance during a fight. Almost 70% of the female victims were killed in their own home, whereas that was the case for only 30% of the male victims. The majority of the victims (of both sexes) had been hit in more than 1 region of the body. A female offender was encountered in 4 instances; none of their victims were children. Of the 3 children in the blunt force victim group, 2 were battered children. Many of the victims with a blood alcohol level of 0 turned out to have lived for some time after the injury.
Rogde
Sidsel
S
Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. sidsel.rogde@rh.uio.no
Hougen
Hans P
HP
Poulsen
Klaus
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000097:blood; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000401:mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000431:Ethanol