The Study of Profile of Autopsy Cases of Hanging with Respect to Educational Status, Family Status and Place of Hanging of Victims in a Rural Region of Central India

Abstract

The increase crime rates with stress in the day to day life is responsible for vide range of medico legal
autopsies in the society. The violent asphyxial deaths are responsible for the large number of medicolegal
autopsies out of which hanging is a very common in society. Hanging is the cheapest and painless form
of self-destruction. It has been employed as the method of suicide since time immortal. The study under
consideration is a cross sectional study which was carried on the dead bodies of either sex. The deceased
were brought for medico legal autopsy with the history probably revealing the cause of death due to hanging
in the autopsy room at a medical college in Central India from 1st August 2011 to 31st July 2017. The
number of hanging cases during the study period were 101,the majority of victims 66 (65.34%) belong to the
nuclear family while the 31 (30.69%) cases belong to the joint family. The family status of 4 (3.96%) cases
cannot be ascertained as the bodies were unidentified. The majority of victims 70 (69.30%) cases, preferred
indoor place for hanging while about 31 (30.69%) cases preferred outdoor place for hanging. Considering
their educational status about 24.75% cases had educated upto primary school, 10.89% had upto secondary
school, 24.75% upto higher secondary, 22.77% upto graduate or more and 11.88% were uneducated. Also in
4.95% cases, the educational status was unknown.