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Tod in Tüten

Heliumassoziierter Suizid in der rechtsmedizinischen Praxis

Death in bags

Helium-associated suicide in medico-legal practice

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Zusammenfassung

Helium wird als Hilfsmittel zum „sicheren und sanften“ Suizid weltweit von Sterbehelfern empfohlen und im Internet als „moderne, schnelle und schmerzlose“ Selbsttötungsmethode kommuniziert. Frei zugängliche Schritt-für-Schritt-Anleitungen erleichtern dem Sterbewilligen die Planung und Durchführung des Suizids. Die einfache Verfügbarkeit der benötigten Informationen und Materialien erklärt ein v. a. in der Internetgeneration gehäuftes Auftreten heliumassoziierter Suizide. Diese Entwicklung und der Stellenwert toxikologischer Nachweismethoden von Helium in Leichenmaterial sind im rechtsmedizinischen Alltag zu berücksichtigen und werden anhand von Fällen aus den Instituten Rostock, Hamburg und München dargestellt.

Abstract

Helium as a modern, safe and painless facility for committing suicide is communicated worldwide in internet forums and by assisted suicide organisations. Free accessible step-by-step instructions simplify the planning and accomplishment for the person wanting to die. The easy availability of information and materials explains the more frequent occurrence of helium-associated suicide particularly among the web generation. This development and the possibility of post-mortem toxicological detection of helium should be considered in routine forensic casework. Cases from the institutes of Rostock, Hamburg and Munich will be presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Rostock, St.-Georg-Str. 108, 18055, Rostock, Deutschland

    A. Bittorf, D. Rentsch &  A. Büttner

  2. Institut für Dopinganalytik und Sportbiochemie Dresden, Kreischa, Deutschland

    D. Thieme

  3. Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland

    K. Püschel & P. Friedrich

  4. Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität München, München, Deutschland

    O. Peschel

Authors
  1. A. Bittorf
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  2. D. Thieme
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  3. K. Püschel
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  4. P. Friedrich
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  5. O. Peschel
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  6. D. Rentsch
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  7. A. Büttner
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to A. Bittorf or A. Büttner.

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Bittorf, A., Thieme, D., Püschel, K. et al. Tod in Tüten. Rechtsmedizin 22, 5–11 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-011-0802-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-011-0802-9

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