Case reportMultidisciplinary approach to fatal dog attacks: A forensic case study
Introduction
Dogs are social animals known to have an inherent pack instinct. They can become excited and aggressive and therefore attacks may occur. Many cases of dog attacks have been reported and sometimes the severity of the wounds can lead to death.1 In the literature, dog-bite frequencies have been estimated at between 9 and 18 per 1000 subjects.2
Many epidemiological studies indicate that the majority of dog-pack attacks are among children or elderly women3 and this can be considered as a worldwide problem.4
Most cases of death involving the presence of domestic-animal bite marks are actually non-violent in nature; these marks are often mistaken for signs of criminal assault,5 which highlights the importance of an accurate post-mortem examination to clarify whether such an injury occurred before or after the time of death and its imputability to the presence of animals at the death scene.
Forensic approaches to fatal dog attacks have been published.5, 6 The investigations usually involve the examination of bite marks and tooth prints. Then the detection of the offending dog can be made by comparisons of the dental casts of the dog with the victim's wounds. It is also possible to obtain a canine-specific short tandem repeat (STR) profile from the dog's saliva left on the wound area,7, 8 which may provide a link between the victim and the suspected animal.
In the following reported case, we tend, by a multidisciplinary approach, to assess the cause of death and the aetiology of the injuries observed on the corpse.
Section snippets
Investigation of the death scene
A 27-year-old woman was found dead in her home. The body was discovered near the front door of the home, lying in a large pool of partially dried blood with signs that the body had been dragged. Her clothes were intact except for a scarf around the neck presenting multiple tears compatible with the following-cited injuries found on the neck. Initial findings indicated that the victim had died <6 h before the discovery of her body.
The victim had a history of epilepsy and the dog (Fig. 1) was
Discussion
Dog-bite-related injuries and fatalities are a major health problem worldwide. The dog-bite death rates in Australia and the US range between 0.004 and 0.07 per 100,000 inhabitants.2 The highest mortality rate is registered for children and elderly people because they are generally weak and defenceless.9
Generally, and as found in the reported case, most frequent sites of injury are the head, face and neck.6
Lesions usually involve a combination of biting, clawing and crushing forces resulting in
Conclusion
The presence of animals at the death scene may pose questions to forensic investigators. In fact, the injuries found on the corpse of the deceased can be mistaken for signs of criminal assault. Confirming that the injuries found are related to an animal bite suggests a multidisciplinary approach including a detailed assessment of the scene, the victim and the animals involved. The most useful methods are the odontological examination of bite marks and DNA analysis.
Ethical approval
None.
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
None.
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