1Police Medicals Police Headquarters, Benin City, Nigeria
2Deptt. of Pathology, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
To document and analyze medico-legal cases that are non fatal and therefore non coroner seen in a Police medical centre.
This is a prospective study of all the medico-legal cases of non fatal nature seen in the Police medical centre, Benin-city between January 1st 2000 to December 31st 2000. Such cases were analyzed statistically with respect to age sex, category of case, time of occurrence of and occupation of victim.
1051 non-fatal medico-legal cases were seen in the one year duration of the study. Victims were aged 1year-95years with a mean of 29.46years (S.D 13.65). The male: female ratio was 1.1:1. Children under 15years accounted for −3.2% of cases. Students made up 47.9% of victims, while traders/businessmen, unemployed persons, professionals and artisans made up 18.3%, 17.7%, 9.1% and 7% respectively. Assaults made up 89.7% of the cases followed by sexual offences (8.1%), abortion (0.6%.) and road traffic injuries (o.6%).
The spectrum of clinical forensic medical cases seen in different parts of the world is similar. Public health measures are needed to reduce these cases which are known to be a drain on health resources.
