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Single stab injuries to the trunk in assault cases-A comparative study of female and male victims in clinical forensic medicine

Dzemailji, Gabriela ; Berg von Linde, Maria LU ; Acosta, Stefan LU orcid ; Wingren, Carl Johan LU and Khoshnood, Ardavan M LU orcid (2026) In Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 120. p.1-8
Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM: Determining the causation of an injury in living individuals is a key task for forensic pathologists. However, little is known about sex-based differences in injury characteristics. The study aims to examine sex-based differences in single stab injuries to the trunk among assault survivors, to potentially identify injury patterns that could aid forensic assessment and help in the management of these patients in emergency care.

METHODS: Using the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine's registry, we identified 385 survivors of single stab injuries to the trunk (361 men, 24 women). Case characteristics were collected and analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, and univariate logistic regression... (More)

BACKGROUND/AIM: Determining the causation of an injury in living individuals is a key task for forensic pathologists. However, little is known about sex-based differences in injury characteristics. The study aims to examine sex-based differences in single stab injuries to the trunk among assault survivors, to potentially identify injury patterns that could aid forensic assessment and help in the management of these patients in emergency care.

METHODS: Using the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine's registry, we identified 385 survivors of single stab injuries to the trunk (361 men, 24 women). Case characteristics were collected and analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, and univariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS: Psychiatric illness was more frequent in women than in men (26% vs. 11%, p < 0.05). Women were more often assaulted at home (42% female, 21% male, p < 0.05), while men were mostly attacked outdoors (56% male, 29% female, p < 0.05). In 50% of female cases, the assault object was found at the crime scene, while in majority of male cases no object was identified (66%, p < 0.05). Horizontal wound directions were more common in women (59% vs. 29%, p < 0.05). Injury severity, based on the New Injury Severity Score, did not differ between sexes (median 8 male, median 9 female, p = 0.76).

CONCLUSION: Differences in demographics, injury characteristics, and circumstances may help guide forensic assessments by improving injury profiling and assessment accuracy. It can also help emergency caregivers provide appropriate support to assaulted patients. Further research is needed to explore whether these findings reflect underlying patterns of domestic violence.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Emergency Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Gender, Sex, Single Stab
in
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
volume
120
article number
103166
pages
1 - 8
publisher
Churchill Livingstone
external identifiers
  • pmid:42105381
ISSN
1752-928X
DOI
10.1016/j.jflm.2026.103166
project
An evidence-based approach to forensic assessments of single stab injuries to the trunk
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
id
0233df56-a4b7-4b0e-addc-07b6118ad273
date added to LUP
2026-05-11 05:07:33
date last changed
2026-05-11 07:59:20
@article{0233df56-a4b7-4b0e-addc-07b6118ad273,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND/AIM: Determining the causation of an injury in living individuals is a key task for forensic pathologists. However, little is known about sex-based differences in injury characteristics. The study aims to examine sex-based differences in single stab injuries to the trunk among assault survivors, to potentially identify injury patterns that could aid forensic assessment and help in the management of these patients in emergency care.</p><p>METHODS: Using the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine's registry, we identified 385 survivors of single stab injuries to the trunk (361 men, 24 women). Case characteristics were collected and analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, and univariate logistic regression analyses.</p><p>RESULTS: Psychiatric illness was more frequent in women than in men (26% vs. 11%, p &lt; 0.05). Women were more often assaulted at home (42% female, 21% male, p &lt; 0.05), while men were mostly attacked outdoors (56% male, 29% female, p &lt; 0.05). In 50% of female cases, the assault object was found at the crime scene, while in majority of male cases no object was identified (66%, p &lt; 0.05). Horizontal wound directions were more common in women (59% vs. 29%, p &lt; 0.05). Injury severity, based on the New Injury Severity Score, did not differ between sexes (median 8 male, median 9 female, p = 0.76).</p><p>CONCLUSION: Differences in demographics, injury characteristics, and circumstances may help guide forensic assessments by improving injury profiling and assessment accuracy. It can also help emergency caregivers provide appropriate support to assaulted patients. Further research is needed to explore whether these findings reflect underlying patterns of domestic violence.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dzemailji, Gabriela and Berg von Linde, Maria and Acosta, Stefan and Wingren, Carl Johan and Khoshnood, Ardavan M}},
  issn         = {{1752-928X}},
  keywords     = {{Emergency Medicine; Forensic Medicine; Gender; Sex; Single Stab}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  pages        = {{1--8}},
  publisher    = {{Churchill Livingstone}},
  series       = {{Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine}},
  title        = {{Single stab injuries to the trunk in assault cases-A comparative study of female and male victims in clinical forensic medicine}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/249799769/1-s2.0-S1752928X26000983-main.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jflm.2026.103166}},
  volume       = {{120}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}