title: Precautions taken to avoid abandoning the act of hanging and reducing pain in suicidal hanging cases.
abstract: This study presents 17 cases of hanging with some preventative measures, when compared with usual hanging fatalities, between 2002 and 2006 in the province of Konya, Turkey. We observed in 4 cases that the victim had only tied together their hands, whereas in 1 case both the hands (with a clothesline) and mouth (with a plastic bag) had been fastened. In a further case, the oral orifice had been closed using a scarf and in the remaining 11 cases, soft materials such as a scarf, hood, the collar of a coat or shirt had been used as padding against the ligature loop. At first glance, the cases where the victim's hands and/or mouth were found tied were thought to be homicides. However, an investigation of the death scene, together with the autopsy findings and inquiry data, showed the cause of death was from suicide. Thus, in suicidal hanging cases certain precautions and preventative measures were observed. For example, tying the hands together was regarded as a means to make self-release impossible; closure of the oral orifice as a means to prevent the victim from calling out for help, and placing soft material against the ligature loop was thought to be an attempt to lessen the feeling of pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Meram Medical School, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. sdemirci@selcuk.edu.tr
authors.forename: Serafettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirci
authors.forename: Kamil Hakan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Erkol
authors.forename: Idris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Deniz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013405:Suicide; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult