Klupp N, Risser D, Heinzl H, Bauer G
Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria.
J Forensic Sci. 1997 Jul;42(4):675-7.
In Austria every death is subject to an examination by a medical doctor authorized by the local health authority. If death is suspected to be natural and/or perpetrated by another person, this doctor has to report it to the police. Depending on the investigation results, the examining magistrate in charge demands a judicial autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. In 1989, 41 murders of old patients by nursing assistants in a Viennese public hospital were disclosed. The main aim of this retrospective study was to determine any change in the demand for forensic autopsies by the Viennese health authority, as well as by the criminal court, after 1989. Furthermore, it was of interest to analyze the reporting practices of medical doctors examining corpses, as well as thr reaction of the criminal court during the study period. After 1989, there was a significant increase of non-judicial and judicial autopsies, performed by Viennese forensic pathologists. In addition, there was a significant increase of reports to the police by coroners as well as by forensic pathologists, paralleled by a higher rate of forensic autopsies demanded by the examining magistrate. This increase of forensic autopsies took place even though the overall rate of deaths in Vienna significantly decreased during the 10-year study period. Thus, the disclosure of 41 murders in the Viennese hospital in 1989 can be assumed as a turning point in the reporting practices of Viennese coroners, as well as the autopsy rate handled by Viennese forensic pathologists.
在奥地利，每例死亡都需由当地卫生当局授权的医生进行检查。如果怀疑死亡是自然原因造成的和/或由他人所致，该医生必须向警方报告。根据调查结果，负责的预审法官会要求在法医学研究所进行司法尸检。1989年，维也纳一家公立医院发生了41起护理人员谋杀老年患者的事件。这项回顾性研究的主要目的是确定1989年后维也纳卫生当局以及刑事法庭对法医尸检需求的任何变化。此外，分析验尸医生的报告做法以及研究期间刑事法庭的反应也很有意义。1989年后，维也纳法医病理学家进行的非司法和司法尸检显著增加。此外，验尸官和法医病理学家向警方的报告也显著增加，与此同时，预审法官要求进行法医尸检的比例更高。尽管在为期10年的研究期间维也纳的总体死亡率显著下降，但法医尸检的数量仍有所增加。因此，可以认为1989年维也纳医院41起谋杀案的曝光是维也纳验尸官报告做法以及维也纳法医病理学家处理的尸检率的一个转折点。
