NCJ Number
168681
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: (March 1997) Pages: 196-207
Date Published
1997
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Radiographically invisible skeletal lesions that document a history of child abuse can often be identified by a physical anthropologist with appropriate osteological experience; this paper illustrates this procedure in five cases.
Abstract
The cases involved the skeletal remains of four murdered children and a mentally handicapped adult. The obtaining of evidence of antemortem trauma and perimortem injuries was critical in developing murder cases against the assailants. Identified well-healed areas of subperiosteal new bone formation were below the threshold of radiographic detection. These cases highlight several types of evidence that physical anthropologists can provide; such evidence is often crucial in the prosecution of child abuse cases based on skeletal evidence. This includes information on age at death, manner of death, and evidence that shows the child was the victim of chronic, patterned physical abuse. Working with skeletal remains has the advantage of allowing bone surfaces to be carefully inspected visually for signs of earlier trauma. Well-healed areas of subperiosteal new bone formation were present in all the child abuse homicide cases profiled in this paper. Although these "bone bruises" are practically pathognomonic of the severe physical abuse of children, they are usually below the threshold of radiographic detection. When a history of previous abuse is a crucial issue, the authors recommend the dissection and visual inspection of long bone surfaces for well-healed subperiosteal lesions. 8 figures and 55 references