Study of nail injury and other Pattern Injuries sustained among victims of physical and sexual assault cases

Kavita Dwivedi; Dr. Lav Kesharwani

Volume : X, Issue : II, February - 2020

Study of nail injury and other Pattern Injuries sustained among victims of physical and sexual assault cases

Kavita Dwivedi, Dr. Lav Kesharwani

Abstract :

Introduction: The nail aasions caused by the fingernails of the assailant often do not correspond to their shape i.e..cresentic of the work of any forensic physician or forensic pathologist. Nail marks plays an important role in personal identification in forensic case works. Medico–legal examination of superficial skin injuries specially caused by finger nail. If observed for fingernail aasion and nail injury pattern will lead to tell tail sign of act which will be important evidence in jurisdiction for conviction of cases Material and Methods: The study is a retrospective record based comparison study which was conducted among Female assault cases. Sample size for study was calculated by using formula for sample size for proportions the calculated sample size came out to be 75. The desired sample size was 75 Sexual assault cases selected randomly for the 3 cities from state medico–legal cell (UP). For comparison purpose, 75 cases (matched for age) of general assault were selected randomly from the medico–legal records of Rama Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kanpur. Exclusion criteria Cases not enclosing all necessary information (history and examination findings) in the reports submitted to State Medico–legal Cell and cases with fatal outcomes. Results : Mean age of Sexual Assault Victims is 26.53 ± 9.18 and General assault victims is 30.41 ± 10.17.which is higher than sexual assault. Most of the victims 32 general assault and 47sexual assault were belonging to the lower socio–economic status, (χ2= 6.461, ‘p’= .040). [Table.2] Results shows that among most of the sexual assault nail injuries were present 41 cases Among general assault victims nail injuries were present only in 12 cases (χ2 = 24.538, p = .000).[Table.3 figure below]. Study shows the results of logistic regression analysis with type of assault as dependent variable, to identify the effects of independent variables related to injuries. .Odds ratio is 11.36 (3.28– for site of injury with lower limit of 95% CI being 3.282. This implies that genital injuries are expected to be at least 3 times more in sexual assault. Similarly the odds are almost 2 times more for finger nail injury and shape of injury respectively. The odds ratio for direction of (force) amongst injuries is 5.128 with lower limit of 95% CI being 1.06 and for severity of injury odds ratio is 2.364 (statistically significant, p=.026)