Pathak H M, Kaur A, Chaudhary N, Paul A S
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Vital Strategies, New York, USA.
J Postgrad Med. 2024 Oct 1;70(4):204-208. doi: 10.4103/jpgm.jpgm_576_23. Epub 2024 Dec 13.
Gender-based violence (GBV), including domestic violence, honor killings, and dowry deaths, represents one of the most extreme forms of violence against women. These deaths are often misclassified as accidents or suicides due to societal biases, leading to underreporting and obscuring the true impact of GBV on women's mortality.
This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of GBV-related deaths, with a focus on cases misreported as accidents or suicides. The objective was to determine the proportion of female deaths attributable to GBV and to highlight the challenges in reporting and investigating these cases.
A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at a medical teaching institution in Mumbai, analyzing 5 years (May 2017-April 2022) of autopsy data involving unnatural female deaths. Autopsy records, police reports, and victim/relative statements were examined to identify potential GBV cases and discrepancies in death classification.
The study found a significant proportion of female deaths attributed to GBV, primarily within domestic settings. Many cases initially reported as accidents or suicides showed discrepancies in injury patterns and circumstances. The majority of GBV victims were young women aged 15-44 years, with burns being the most common cause of death.
The study emphasizes the need for improved investigation and classification of unnatural female deaths. Domestic violence emerged as the most common factor in these deaths, with intimate partners being primary perpetrators, with most incidents occurring within the home. It also stresses on enhanced protocols to accurately identify and address GBV-related fatalities.
基于性别的暴力（GBV），包括家庭暴力、荣誉谋杀和嫁妆死亡，是针对妇女的最极端暴力形式之一。由于社会偏见，这些死亡往往被错误分类为意外或自杀，导致报告不足，掩盖了GBV对妇女死亡率的真实影响。
本研究旨在评估与GBV相关的死亡发生率，重点关注被误报为意外或自杀的案例。目的是确定可归因于GBV的女性死亡比例，并突出报告和调查这些案例时面临的挑战。
在孟买的一所医学教学机构进行了一项回顾性横断面研究，分析了5年（2017年5月至2022年4月）涉及非自然女性死亡的尸检数据。检查尸检记录、警方报告以及受害者/亲属陈述，以识别潜在的GBV案例和死亡分类中的差异。
研究发现，很大一部分女性死亡归因于GBV，主要发生在家庭环境中。许多最初被报告为意外或自杀的案例在损伤模式和情况方面存在差异。大多数GBV受害者是15至44岁的年轻女性，烧伤是最常见的死亡原因。
该研究强调需要改进对非自然女性死亡的调查和分类。家庭暴力是这些死亡中最常见的因素，亲密伴侣是主要肇事者，大多数事件发生在家庭内部。它还强调需要加强协议，以准确识别和处理与GBV相关的死亡事件。
