SUICIDE BY SELF-STRANGULATION WHILE UNDER OBSERVATION

Two cases are reported of individuals who committed suicide after they had been identified as being acutely at risk of killing themselves. S elf-strangulation by a ligature fashioned from the subjects' clothes w as the mechanism of suicide in both cases. One death occurred in a pol ice station and the other on an acute psychiatric ward. These cases hi ghlight the need for those formulating policies concerning the supervi sion of the suicidal individual to pay attention to the minutiae of de tail. In particular, a case is made for those at risk of suicide to be prevented from sleeping with their head covered by blankets.