title: [Suicide by self-immolation].
abstract: In the Western world, self-incineration is a rare event compared with the Asian countries. The circumstances of death are often unusual, and differentiation from homicide is sometimes possible only after evaluating all the investigation results and findings. In many cases of self-cremation, a fire accelerant is used. In our study material at least 30% of the body surface were burned. Unaffected skin was predominantly found on the back of the body. The cases presented by us are inhomogenous as to the motive and differ from those reported in the literature with regard to gender distribution, scene, motivational situation and psychological constitution.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universität Bonn.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thierauf
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strehler
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D002059:Burns, Inhalation / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013405:Suicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*