Forensic medical examination of corpses

Key issues (tasks) to be addressed:

• reasons and time of death
• evidence of a violent death
• evidence and mechanisms of physical injuries
• prescription of physical injuries
• possible infliction of a physical injury during lifetime or after death
• sequence of causing physical injury
• causal link between physical injury and death
• evidence of alcohol and drugs in the body
• issues on the category and type of crime instrument
• possible occurrence of death due to poisoning, acute infectious disease, or other reasons

Forensic medical examination of living persons

Key issues (tasks) to be addressed:

• age determination
• determination of evidence and severity of physical injuries
• determination of sexual status (to establish sex, sexual integrity, sexual maturity, childbirth, abortion, pregnancy, reproductive capacity, rape, lewd acts, sodomy, or sexual intercourse with a person who has not reached sexual maturity)
• assessment of health grounds (in cases of malingering, dissimulation, exaggeration of symptoms, phantom illness, self-inflicted injuries, and determination of the degree of disability)

Forensic medical examination of physical evidence of biological origin

Key issues (tasks) to be addressed:

• study of substances (blood, sperm, saliva, breast secretions, urine, sweat, feces)
• study of tissues for evidence of biological origin and their group and species affiliation (hair, nails, skin, muscle, and cartilage)
• study of inner organs

Forensic medical examinations based on files of criminal proceedings and civil cases

Criminal proceedings:

• reasons and time of death
• nature and severity of physical injuries
• mechanisms of physical injuries
• prescription of physical injuries
• a person’s ability to act independently after sustaining injuries
• assessment of actions by healthcare professionals that resulted in death or serious complications

Civil trials:

• determination of the degree of general and professional disability
• establishment of compliance of medical care with standards
• establishment of sex status (in trials on paternity, rape, etc.)