NCJ Number
190856
Journal
Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 49-53
Date Published
June 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses a novel approach to forensic investigation.
Abstract
The article investigates the death of a 5-year-old child from peritonitis as a result of a rupture of the duodenum. The main suspect alleged that the injury occurred while playing a game that involved standing on the child's chest and abdomen. A reconstruction of the game was performed using a 3-dimensional kinematic and kinetic motion analysis to investigate the feasibility of the defendant's statement. The article includes a summary of the investigation together with a description of kinematic and kinetic methods used. Test results suggest that a settee used in the game did support a significant proportion of an adult's body weight as he placed one foot on the child's chest and the other on the abdomen and rocked back and forth. The distance of the child (lying supine on the floor parallel to the rear of the settee) from the base of the settee, however, did influence the magnitude of force projected through the force plates representing the child. The investigation provided quantitative scientific evidence that the game as explained by the defendant could actually be played. It was not possible to say that the death could not have resulted from the defendant's account. The article claims that the versatile techniques used in this investigation can be applied to a wide variety of situations and should become a valuable approach to forensic biomechanical investigations. Figures, tables, reference, bibliography