Make-up and love bites: two reports about exceptional cases of self-inflicted “injuries”

Abstract

Self-inflicted injuries and their differentiation from inflicted injuries may have severe legal implications. The detection of these injuries is an important task in clinical forensic medicine. We present two cases of skin discolorations caused by using make-up and suction of the skin which have only rarely been reported. In the first case a 19-year-old woman asserted she was punched against her left clavicle and her right eye by a perpetrator, and that during the following forced sexual intercourse she had been bitten on the neck. On medicolegal examination 3 days later dark blue, shimmering discolorations at her right eyebrow, the left side of the neck and the left clavicle were seen. At first sight these discolorations appeared as bruises; however, they could easily be removed by a simple wipe with a finger. In the second reported case a 23-year-old woman reported she had been assaulted by two men who forcefully pressed her against a wall, partially undressed her and forced her to touch and rub one man's penis. Medicolegal examination 32 h after the incident revealed several round to oval shaped, reddish to brown discolorations on both of her upper arms resembling so-called love bites created by suction. In both cases the preliminary investigation by the public prosecutor were closed. However, case 1 is still subject to legal investigations due to false incrimination. Self-infliction of injuries should always be considered in forensic examinations, even if they do not follow the classical pattern.