Homicidal sharp force cases: An 11-year autopsy-based study

Review of patterns in homicides by sharp force: one institution’s experience

“…In most cases, the blood alcohol level was within the level of severe and life-threatening alcohol intoxication (BAC, i.e., > 0.31%). This is in contrast to the findings by Belghith et al who report the frequency of alcohol-intoxicated victims in Tunisia of only 4.2% [ 13 ]. These difference may be explained by higher alcohol consumption by Europeans compared to other countries, especially Islamic countries [ 32 ].…”

“…This scenario is also consistent with the results of other studies from Europe and Japan [ 5 , 12 , 18 ]. Of note is the fact that in Tunisia, sharp force homicides were most commonly committed in public places (62.4%) which is in contrast with both the majority of the published studies and with the study presented in this paper [ 13 ].…”

“…Unlike in other studies where the percentage of female victims ranged from 30 to 35% [ 5 , 10 – 12 ], it was slightly higher in this study, namely 39%. In general, the male to female ratio in the published studies varies from 2 to 5, with the exception of the study by Belghith et al involving Aboriginal population in Central Australia where female victims accounted for 53% of all the victims [ 13 – 15 ]. Such high number of female victims in Aborigines population could be explained by the use of traditional punishment, which is still practiced in Central Australia [ 15 ].…”

“…While the age of the victims in developing countries usually ranges from 20 to 30 years, data from developed countries show a significantly higher average age of the victims [ 1 , 11 – 13 , 16 , 17 ]. This difference could be accounted for by different socioeconomic situations, differences in lifestyle, and different life expectancy in these countries.…”