Scendoni Roberto, Fedeli Piergiorgio, Cannovo Nunzia, Cingolani Mariano
Acad Forensic Pathol. 2021 Dec;11(4):208-214. doi: 10.1177/19253621211056191. Epub 2021 Nov 9.
According to the Italian legal system, forensic autopsies are performed by a medical doctor specialized in legal medicine, otherwise known as a medicolegal expert (MLE), who has a range of very complex responsibilities. Indeed, the quality of forensic autopsy activity is always questioned in courts of law; incorrect assessments are dangerous because they can jeopardize the validity of a criminal investigation and thus affect the outcome so that a real culprit may be acquitted or an innocent person convicted. Nonconformities also discredit the professionalism of the specialist who performs the autopsy. The work of a MLE implies a series of assignments and duties that should be given constant consideration, but when certain aspects of this activity are underestimated or overlooked, this can lead the expert to make mistakes with irreparable consequences for the judicial investigation. In this article, for the first time, we present a summary of seven known errors related to autopsy activity following death by unnatural causes, with the purpose of alerting MLEs who work under the Italian judicial system to the potential dangers of such errors. These relate to: oversights in autopsy technique, incorrect collection of photographic and video material, unauthorized attendance at the autopsy, missing/mistaken reporting at any stage of the forensic activity, failure to notify the party forensic consultant, using histological or toxicological nonaccredited laboratories for forensic activities, and lack of observance of the chain of custody.
根据意大利法律制度，法医解剖由专门从事法医学的医生进行，也就是法医学专家（MLE），他们肩负一系列非常复杂的职责。事实上，法医解剖活动的质量在法庭上总是受到质疑；不正确的评估很危险，因为它们可能危及刑事调查的有效性，进而影响结果，导致真正的罪犯可能被无罪释放，或者无辜的人被定罪。不符合规范的行为也会损害进行解剖的专家的专业性。法医学专家的工作意味着一系列需要持续关注的任务和职责，但当这项活动的某些方面被低估或忽视时，这可能导致专家犯错，给司法调查带来无法挽回的后果。在本文中，我们首次总结了与非自然原因死亡后的解剖活动相关的七个已知错误，目的是提醒在意大利司法系统下工作的法医学专家注意这些错误的潜在危险。这些错误涉及：解剖技术方面的疏忽、照片和视频资料收集不正确、未经授权参加解剖、法医活动任何阶段的报告缺失/错误、未通知法医顾问一方、在法医活动中使用未经认可的组织学或毒理学实验室，以及未遵守保管链。
