RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF PROFILE OF MEDICO-LEGAL AGE ESTIMATION CASES BROUGHT TO TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL & MEDICAL COLLEGE OF RURAL HARYANA
Keywords:
age estimation, heinous crimes, medico-legal, juvenile, sexual offencesAbstract
One of the important tasks carried out by forensic medicine expert apart from conducting autopsies is estimation of age in living where there is no proof of age or the proof available is not authentic. The present study analyse the profile of medico-legal age estimation cases brought to the department of forensic medicine of a medical college and hospital of rural Haryana. Retrospective data of five years was extracted from records maintained in the office and analyzed. All medico-legal cases brought for age estimation were included and all civil cases were excluded. A total of 116 individuals were brought for age estimation during the study period. Among those examined, maximum were male, accused and were from rural background. The majority of victims were female children. The findings should draw the attention of doctors and healthcare workers to the problem of juvenile crimes by or against children and encourage them to work together with law enforcement and social organizations in securing justice.
References
1. Srivastav A, Saraswat PK, Agarwal SK, Gupta P. A study of wrist ossification for age estimation in paediatric group in Central Rajasthan. J Indian Acad Forensic Med 2004; 26(4).
2. Dixit SP, Bansal RK. Study of Ossification Centres Fusion of Elbow Joint in 15 to 17 Years Garhwali Females of Dehradun Region. J Indian Acad Forensic Med 2014;36(4):396-8.
3. https://www.latestlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2018/08/Article-on-victim-age.pdf.
4. The Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Act, 2015, (No. 2 of 2016), The Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II Section 1 Chapter X page 36, New Delhi, Friday, January 1;2016.
5. Yadukul S, Sagar V, Rajeswari, Kavyashree HS. Profile of cases booked under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act in Chamarajanagar District, Karnataka. J Indian Acad Forensic Med 2017 Mar;39(1):78–81.
6. Kulkarni UK, Kulkarni KV, Kokre RN, et al. Forensic study on Child Sexual Abuse under POCSO Act. European J of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2016; 3(7):593-596.
7. Sujatha PL, Ananda K, Sane MR. Profile of victims of natural sexual offences in South Bangalore. J Indian Acad Forensic Med 2016;38(3):274-77.
8. Eze UO. Prevention of sexual assault in Nigeria. Ann Ibd Pg Med 2013;11(2):65–70.
9. Ropmay AD, Patowary AJ, Slong D et al. Profile of Cases Brought to the Forensic Medicine Department for Age estimation under the POCSO Act, 2012. Indian J. Forensic Med Pathol. 2020;13(1):15-18.
10. Elgendy IS, Hassan NA. Medicolegal study of child sexual abuse in Greater Cairo, Egypt, during a 7-year period 2005-2011. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2013 Dec;34(4):335–41.
11. https://www.latestlaws.com/latest-news/sc-rules heinous-offences-as-defined-under-jj-act-does-not include-crimes-punishable-beyond-7-yrs-but-have no-minimum-sentence-read-the-judgement/
12. Mughal AM, Hassan N, Ahmed A. The applicability of the Greulich & Pyle Atlas for bone age assessment in primary school going children of Karachi, Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci 2014;30(2):409–12.
13. Palanisamy V, Rao A, Shenoy R, et al. Correlation of dental age, skeletal age, and chronological age among children aged 9-14 years: A retrospective study. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2016;34:310– 14.
14. Shweta Gulati & another v/s State (NCT of Delhi), 2018 SCC Online Del 10448, dated 08 August 2018.
