Torture by administration of electric shocks: The case of PG
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v32i3.129471Keywords:
forensic, electrical, tortureAbstract
In this case study, a survivor of torture describes a history of electrical torture with a rod-like object and the subsequent neurological symptoms and keloid scars that developed afterwards. Electrical injuries can be difficult for a clinician to identify on exam as they do not often leave any physical scars on the skin. However, survivors of electrical injuries do describe a constellation of acute sensations and ensuing neurologic and musculoskeletal symptoms that can be recognized by taking a detailed history. Familiarity with the mechanism of these injuries and their common acute and subacute symptoms can assist a forensic examiner in evaluating consistency in these cases.
References
Addante, J., Chin, M., Eto, J., & Baker, R. (1991). Electrocution injuries. A case report. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 81(1), 39–41. https://doi.org/10.7547/87507315-81-1-39
Amnesty International. (1997). Arming the Torturers: Electro-shock Torture and the Spread of Stun Technology.
Becour, B. (2013). Conducted Electrical Weapons or Stun Guns. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 34(2), 142–146. https://doi.org/10.1097/paf.0b013e31828873d6
Bork, K., & Nagel, C. (1997). Long-standing pigmented keloid of the ears induced by electrical torture. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 36(3), 490–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0190-9622(97)80239-3
Danielsen, L. (2002). The examination and investigation of electric shock injuries. In M. Peel & V. Iacopino (Eds.), The Medical Documentation of Torture (pp. 191–205). Greenwich Medical Media Limited.
Danielsen, L., Karlsmark, T., Thomsen, H. K., Thomsen, J. L., & Balding, L. E. (1991). Diagnosis of Electrical Skin Injuries: A Review and a Description of a Case. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 12(3), 222–226. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000433-199109000-00011
Danielsen, L., & Rasmussen, O. V. (2006). Dermatological findings after alleged torture. Torture, 16(2).
Dhaniwala, N., Date, S., & Dhaniwala, M. N. (2019). Effects of electrical injury on musculoskeletal system: a case report. MOJ Orthopedics & Rheumatology, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.15406/mojor.2019.11.00493
Grube, B. J., Heimbach, D. M., Engrav, L. H., & Copass, M. K. (1990). Neurologic Consequences of Electrical Burns. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 30(3), 254–258. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-199003000-00002
Robinson, M. N., Brooks, C. G., & Renshaw, G. D. (1990). Electric Shock Devices and Their Effects on the Human Body. Medicine, Science and the Law, 30(4), 285–300. https://doi.org/10.1177/106002809003000403
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Torture Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
We accept that some authors (e.g. government employees in some countries) are unable to transfer copyright. The Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) covers both the Torture Journal and the IRCT web site. The publisher will not put any limitation on the personal freedom of the author to use material contained in the paper in other works which may be published, provided that acknowledgement is made to the original place of publication.