Child z a Homicide_Mohammed_abu_jaber.pptx

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1. Child Homicide By Mohammed Abu Jaber

2. Key Definitions • Filicide: deliberate killing of one’s own child. • Infanticide: killing of a child ≤12 months, often by the mother (special legal provisions in some countries). • Neonaticide: killing of a newborn within the first 24 hours of life. • Stillbirth: delivery after ≥24 weeks’ gestation with no signs of life. • Live birth: any sign of life after birth. • Separate existence: independent survival after delivery, even if short.

3. Role of the Forensic Pathologist • Establish live birth vs. stillbirth (crucial for infanticide vs concealment of birth). • Estimate maturity / viability: • Weight, length, ossification centers. • Viability often legally fixed at 24 weeks. • Identify the mother (DNA, associated materials, maternal exam). • Determine cause of death: natural, neglect, or inflicted violence. • Document concealment of birth: e.g., burial, hiding, wrapping.

4. Methods of Child Homicide • Neglect/omission: starvation, hypothermia, lack of care. • Strangulation / ligature: bruises, abrasions, cord marks. • Smothering: blocking nose/mouth (hard to prove). • Head injuries: throwing, blunt force, dropping. • Cutting/piercing: stabbing, violent cord cutting. • Drowning: disposal in water. • Concealment of birth: body hidden without registration

5. Autopsy Findings • Umbilical cord: cut/tear, ligature, around neck. • Lungs: • Hydrostatic test (“float test”) → unreliable; resuscitation and decomposition interfere. • Histology: expansion of alveoli, epithelial changes. • Signs of respiration: expanded lungs, air in alveoli.

6. • Maturity assessment: • Crown–heel length: ~50 cm at term. • Weight: 2550–3360 g at term. • Ossification: tibia, cuboid, calcaneus, etc. • Hair, lanugo, meconium, genitalia development. • Decomposition: makes distinction between live/stillbirth difficult. • External signs: injuries, washing, wrappings, concealment evidence.

7. Legal Considerations • If a woman kills her child <12 months while disturbed by childbirth/lactation → treated as manslaughter, not murder. • Other jurisdictions: • Some reduce culpability (e.g., Austria, Finland, Norway). • Others treat it as standard homicide. • Concealment of birth: minor offence in some laws, regardless of live birth.

8. Estimation of Maturity • Up to 20 weeks: length in cm ≈ square of months (Haase’s rule). • After 20 weeks: length ÷ 5 ≈ months of gestation. • Term infant (~40 weeks): • 48–52 cm long, 2550–3360 g. • Ossification center in tibia always present. • Lanugo gone except shoulders; scalp hair 2–3 cm. • Dark meconium in intestine. • Ossification centers (tibia, cuboid, calcaneus) used in autopsy to estimate gestational age.