Blutspuren bei Schussverletzungen

The type and extent of bloodstains which can be found at the scene of crime after gunshot injuries are extremely variable. Bloodstains which are primarily indicative of gunshot wounds are those which originate from the entrance wound (forward spatter) and retrograde from the exit wound (backspatter) and found on adjacent surfaces. The formation and morphology of these stains and their importance for the medico-legal reconstruction will be described. Backspatter bloodstains are a criterium which when positive concerning the victim give an indication of suicide but when they are lacking must be interpreted with caution, especially if the conditions for securing evidential material were sub-optimal. A critical causal assessment in this area cannot be substituted by a statistical categorization.