Abstract
The case presented is that of an elderly woman found in her home, confused and with multiple body injuries. A forensic assessment was conducted based on the preliminary information that she was found with her pants pulled down to her ankles, an electrical cord laying across her neck, reported genital bruising, and that the back door of her home was open. Police initially treated the matter as a home invasion with physical and sexual assault but this was later considered incorrect. This case highlights that not all women found in a state of partial undress have been sexually assaulted, that initial information should be corroborated from its source, and the value of a multi-disciplinary approach when analyzing information to determine a possible sequence of events.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the Western Sydney Local Health District Forensic Medical Unit staff, especially Dr. Glenys Griffiths, Carey Day RN and Mandy Ashton RN, who were involved in the forensic assessments of this patient. We would also like to acknowledge the excellent work undertaken by the staff of the Emergency Department, the admitting medical team, and the Intensive Care Unit at Nepean Hospital who made themselves available to discuss the case, and provided thorough work-up and care to this patient.
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Informed consent for publication of the history and body images were obtained from the patient’s son, as the patient remained unable to provide her own. Consent for use of crime scene photos was obtained from Nepean Police Area Command. Site specific ethics approval was not required.
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Pisani, F., Nittis, M. An unusual case of hypothermia and paradoxical undressing. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 17, 338–342 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-020-00315-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-020-00315-3