Homicide in Tours (Indre-et-Loire, France): a four-year review.
This retrospective study examined homicides in two French departments located in the West of France (Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher) for a four-year period from 2000 to 2003. During this period 63 homicidal deaths were investigated at the Institute of Forensic Science of Tours (Indre-et-Loire). There were 45 male and 18 female victims with an average homicide rate of 1.55 per 100,000 persons. The mean age of the victims was 42 years-old. Forty-five assailants were identified; their mean age was 38 years-old. The most common method of homicide was the use of firearms (40% of the cases), followed by blunt-force injury (36%) and sharp-force injury (16%). 51% of the victims knew their assailant, a family member in 26% of the cases. Spousal homicides occurred in 16% of the cases. Dyadic death occurred in six cases. A review of the literature compares these findings to other populations.
Saint-Martin
Pauline
P
Institute of Forensic Science, Trousseau Hospital, University Hospital of Tours, 37 044 Tours Cedex 1, France. ppauline51@wanadoo.fr
Bouyssy
Marie
M
Bathellier
Stephane
S
Sarraj
Saad
S
O'Byrne
Patrick
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D044709:Forensic Ballistics; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution