A complex suicide with over 250 sharp force injuries and falling from height

Leg Med (Tokyo). 2025 May 9;75:102631. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2025.102631. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Suicides with a high number of sharp force injuries are extremely uncommon, in particular in combination with another suicide method. In these cases, the differentiation between homicidal and suicidal injuries is complicated and a thorough investigation and autopsy is needed. We report about a 57-year-old woman with a history of severe depression who died due to her blunt trauma from falling from height after self-infliction of multiple sharp force injuries. Autopsy revealed at least 41 injuries on her throat, 120 on her thorax and abdomen, 81 on her right forearm and 8 in her right palm. In addition to the presentation of the case, a brief literature review is provided.

PMID:40359828 | DOI:10.1016/j.legalmed.2025.102631