Abstract
Forensic medical practitioners need to define the general principles governing procedures to be used for the on-site examination of a body where the death has occurred in unnatural, violent or suspicious circumstances. These principles should be followed whenever a medical expert is required to perform an on-site corpse inspection and should be utilised as a set of general guidelines to be adapted to the specific situation in hand and interpreted using common sense and scientific knowledge of the relevant procedures and facts of the case. The aim of these principles is to ensure that forensic evidence at the scene of a death is properly observed and assessed and all necessary relevant evidence gathered in order to ensure that a comprehensive report is available to the judicial authority (investigating judge or coroner) in the justice system. The on-site corpse inspection by a forensic practitioner is a mandatory and essential stage of the forensic and medico-legal autopsy, as it may provide important information for subsequent investigation stages.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
European Council of Legal Medicine (2014) ECLM Principles and Rules Relating to Medico-Legal Autopsy Procedures (Harmonisation of Medico-Legal Autopsy Rules) http://eclm.info/docs/Documents/ECLM_Harmonisation_of_Autopsy_Rules_2014.pdf. Accessed 10 Oct 2016
Mangin P, Bonbled F, Väli M, Luna A, Bajanowski T, Hougen HP, Ludes B, Ferrara D, Cusack D, Keller E, Vieira N (2015) European Council of Legal Medicine (ECLM) accreditation of forensic pathology services in Europe. Int J Legal Med 129:395–403
The National Institute of Justice (2004) Crime Scene Investigation: A Reference for Law Enforcement Training, NCJ 200160, Special Report
Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation (2000) Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement, NCJ 178280, Research Report
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cusack, D., Ferrara, S.D., Keller, E. et al. European Council of Legal Medicine (ECLM) principles for on-site forensic and medico-legal scene and corpse investigation. Int J Legal Med 131, 1119–1122 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1479-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1479-0