A planned complex suicide: Cut injury to the wrist with corrosive acid poisoning

Abstract

A planned complex suicide is the complex action mechanism, formerly planned to protect the victim of suicide from failure. A 22-year old undergraduate student was found dead at his home in the toilet with a cut injury to the left wrist. Autopsy findings revealed an incised wound at the left wrist along with signs of corrosive acid poisoning. Death scene investigation confirmed it as a case of planned complex suicide. To the best of our knowledge combination of methods used in this case is unique and has not been reported previously. The sequence of events in this case was difficult to determine as both the methods used viz. cut wrist and corrosive acid poisoning were sufficient to cause death individually. Also the duration between the events must have been so less that the sequence of events was difficult to be determined.

Keywords

• Planned complex suicide
• Cut wrist
• Corrosive poisoning
• Death scene investigation