Stab Wounds

Wounds and its Medico- Legal Aspects (FSIC312)

MODULE 3
Group 2 – Disha Roy
Pragya Singh
Sakshi Sharma
Aditi Singh
G. Vishnuprakash
 Topics
• Introduction

• Types
• Characteristics
• Weapons causing stab wounds
• Examination of wound
• Examination of weapon
• Medico-legal aspects
• Case Study
• References
 Stab Wounds
A stab wound is produced when force is delivered
along the long axis of a narrow or pointed object, such
as knife, dagger, sword, chisel, scissors, nail, needle,
spear, arrow, screw driver, etc. into the depths of the
body.
 Types of Punctured Wounds
1. Puncture Wounds – when soft tissues are involved.
2. Penetrating Wounds – when they enter a cavity of body or a
viscus.
3. Perforating Wounds – produced when weapon enters the
body on one side and comes out from other side.
Characteristics of Stab Wounds

Margins

Length

Width

Depth

Shape

Direction
 Characteristics of Stab Wounds
MARGINS LENGTH WIDTH
 Edges are clean cut and  Slightly less than the The maximum possible
inverted. width of the weapon up to width of the knife blade can
 Usually no abrasion or which it is driven in. be determined if the edges
bruising of the margins.  For measuring the length are brought together.
of stab wound, the edges When the skin is
Abraded and ragged if the
of the wound should be stretched, the wound will
cutting edge is blunt
brought together be long and thin, which
 Mark will be becomes shorter and
 Deliberate movement of
- symmetrical, if the knife the weapon during its broader when the skin is
strikes the skin at right withdrawal from the body relaxed.
angle tends to widen the wound.
 Characteristics of Stab Wounds
DEPTH DIRECTION SHAPE
 Depth is greater than the In solid organs, the principal The shape of a stab wound
width and length of the direction should be noted is dependent on
external injury first and other next. The width and shape of the
Depends on: If it is perforating, describe weapon, its sharpness,
- Condition of the knife the entrance, the path, and body region stabbed, the
its exit. If it is penetrating, depth of insertion, the
- The resistance offered by the wound of entrance angle of withdrawal, the
the tissues or organs should be described first, movement of the blade in
- Clothing then the depth and the wound, the condition
direction of wound track. of the skin,etc.
- When the knife strikes the
skin at right angle, it usually
penetrates more deeply
 Dinner fork Serrated knife
Ice pick
Needle
Screwdriver Arrow

dk
Double- edged knife
nife
Weapons Causing Spear

Single- edged knife

Stab Wounds
 Examination
Examination of wound
• The following points should be noted :
• 1) Identification and labeling of cuts and damage to clothing.
• 2) Distribution of blood stains.
• 3) Removal of clothing, layer by layer.
• 4) Identification and labeling of wounds.
• 5)dWounds:
kni Estimation of force required
fe
Trauma to viscera
Foreign bodies
Depth
Direction
Extension
Ends
Shape
Size
Description including margins
Location (measurements from fixed anatomical landmarks)
Position(height from heels)
Examination of weapon
• The doctor should note :
Examination
• Length, width and thickness of the blade,
• Whether single-edged or double- edged,
• Degree of taper from tip to hilt,
• Nature of the back edge in a single-edged weapon, e.g. squared-off, serrated, etc.,
• Face of the hilt guard adjacent to the blade,
• any grooving, serration or forking of the blade, and
• Sharpness of the extreme tip of the blade and the cutting edge.

dk
nife
 Medico-Legal Aspects
Circumstances of injuries

SUICIDE

HOMICIDE

Importance dk
ACCIDENTAL
nife
(1) The shape of the wound may indicate the class and type of the
weapon which may have caused the injury.
(2) The depth of the wound will indicate the force of penetration. SELF INFLICTED
(3) and cardiac return, Direction and dimensions of the wound indicate OR INFLICTED BY
the relative positions of the assailant and the victim. OTHERS
(4) The age of the injury can be determined.
(5) Position, number and direction of wounds may indicate manner of DEFENCE
production, i.e., suicide, accident, or homicide. WOUNDS
(6) If a broken fragment of weapon is found, it will identify the weapon
or will connect an accused person
 Medico-Legal Aspects
Circumstances of injuries
Trait Suicidal wounds Homicidal wounds Accidental wounds
Number Often single Frequently multiple Usually single
Site Accessible precordial May be anywhere May be anywhere
area or upper
abdomen
Tentative wounds May be present around May be present rarely Absent
site of fatal wound but away from fatal
wound dk
nife
Clothing Removed from injured Normally not disturbed Not disturbed
area
Defence wounds Absent Often present Absent
 CASE STUDY – AMRAVATI MURDER CASE

Victim – Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe

Location - Amravati, Maharashtra,
India
Date – 21 June 2022, 10:00 p.m.
Attack type - Stabbing
Weapon – Knife ( 8 c.m x 2 c.m)
Motive - Victim allegedly made a social
media post in support of suspended BJP
leader Nupur Sharma.
Accused - Irfan Sheikh (54), Yusufkan
Bahadur Khan (44), Mudassir Ahmad
(22), Shah Rukh Pathan (25), Abdul
Thoufique (24), Shoaib Khan (22) and
Atib Rashid (22).
REFERENCES
• The Essentials of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Dr. K.S.N Reddy and
O.P. Murty 34th Edition
• https://youtu.be/6qaILmJqmJ0
• https://www.indiatoday.in/law/story/amravati-murder-accused-reach
ed-court-when-arrested-by-nia-2003322-2022-09-22
• https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/injury/cuts-and-puncture-
wounds#:~:text=A%20puncture%20wound%20is%20usually,and%20s
hould%20be%20treated%20appropriately
.
• https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?conten
ttypeid=90&contentid=P02844
Thank you!