MEDECINE LEGALE DROIT MEDICAL

A BRIEF REVIEW OF PRISON MEDICINE IN THE PAST

Michel BÉNÉZECH — 2022-12-22

The author briefly reviews the legal provisions since Antiquity concerning incarcerated criminals with mental disorders: archaic and classical Roman law, canon law (Middle Ages and the Inquisition), the Ancien Régime, during and after the French Revolution.

THE DENTIST’S ROLE IN SCREENING CHILD ABUSE

Loreto PEMAN — 2022-12-22

Child abuse is unfortunately present in France and remains a taboo and unknown subject for some professionals such as dentists. Moreover, most dentists do not realise the importance of their position in detecting child abuse. From bibliographic research and a survey of French and Spanish dentists, we obtain a broken-down picture of the professional’s knowledge on how to deal with a possible screening in the office in both neighbouring countries. There is a clear lack of training on the subject: the attitudes and lesions to be noticed, what to do and, most importantly, the reporting procedure. Consequently, there is a need for awareness raising and restructuring with the aim of improving training on this subject, setting up standardised protocols and making information available to all dental colleagues.

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND MEDICO-LEGAL STUDY OF VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE AT HOME IN ABIDJAN (CÔTE D’IVOIRE)

Z. KONATÉ — 2023-07-11

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to describe homicides that occurred at home in Abidjan in order to ensure better prevention of this type of death.
Methods: This was a retrospective and descriptive study carried out over a period of 06 years (2015 to 2020) and relating to people who died at home as a result of homicide and who were the subject of an external examination and / or a forensic autopsy.

Results: Homicides at home recorded 29.8% (85 cases / 285) of all violent deaths occurring at home during the study period. The majority of victims belonged to the 25 to 34 age group (40%), male (66%), single (47%), traders (38.8%), from the informal sector (41, 2%). These homicides most often occurred on Mondays (29.4%) and Sundays (23.5%), at night (18 hours and 5 hours 59 minutes) (70.6%). The perpetrators and their victims had a direct link (65.9%), in particular a criminal association (43.5%), indirect (sponsored homicides) (22.3%) or unknown (11.8%). Deaths occurring in the context of theft followed by violence (48.2%), robbery (24.7%) and settling of accounts (20%) rarely domestic violence (7.1%) which can hide cases of feminicide. These were traumatic deaths (91.8%) most often consecutive to wounds caused by bladed weapons (57.6%), in particular stinging and sharp instruments (50%) and by firearms (27%) using bullet cartridges (24.4%). Sometimes, it was mechanical asphyxia (8.2%) by strangulation (5.8%).
Conclusion: The prevention of domestic homicides requires the involvement of governments to strengthen home security measures.

PSYCHOTIC FRATRICIDE WITH A CROSSBOW: 23 YEARS OF CRIMINAL IMPRISONMENT

Michel BÉNÉZECH — 2022-12-22

A 36-year-old schizophrenic man, killed his older brother with a crossbow, over a disapproval of the management of their mother illness. He reported ingesting alcohol and psychotropic drug hours before. Declared responsible despite his serious mental disorders, he was sentenced to 23 years of criminal imprisonment and 15 years of socio-judicial follow-up. This observation once again poses the problem of the relationship between severe mental illness, the passage to the homicidal act and the degree of criminal responsibility of the perpetrator of the criminal acts.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CARING ABOUT THE PSYCHIC IMBALANCE CAUSED WHEN THE ADOLESCENT IS ON THE WAY TO GIVING UP THE PSYCHIC SOLUTIONS BROUGHT BY THE EXTREMIST GROUP

Elsa CHAMBOREDON — 2022-12-22

Fanatical involvment holds some psychic functions which the adolescent needs. Tending to their emancipation has to take these functions into consideration and work on them. This article presents two objectives : first, to better understand the complex interaction between the adolescent and the fanatical discourse, and then, to suggest some intervention paths. This article is based on the follow-up of four families, which are part of the sample of the author’s thesis. Working with the psychoanalytical frame including the individual and the family level makes it possible to foster not only the adolescent’s but also the family’s capacities to deal with their expéeience.

VICTIMS BETWEEN TWO FIRES: VICTIMS OF FIRES

Thierry TOUTIN — 2022-12-22

From ten fires observed in the field, we will observe how dramatic the consequences of a disaster can be for the victims. In a dozen other fires, accidental or criminal, six questions were asked to the victims in order to collect their feelings after the damage suffered. It turns out that the victim of a fire, like any victim, remains traumatized by the facts, but it has a peculiarity. This particularity concerns the loss of their sentimental heritage when it went up in smoke. It is the feeling of immense sadness, of inconsolable sorrow over the irreversible loss of sometimes worthless property. But if these objects have no market value, they have a sentimental, moral value to which the victims hold more than anything and which no compensation will replace. Even if financial compensation contributes to the psychological healing of the damage suffered, the after-effects remain indelible.