SKELETAL EVIDENCE FOR CHILD-ABUSE - A PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Analysis of the skeletal remains of abused children can prove challeng ing for forensic pathologists and radiographers who are inexperienced in the direct examination of bones. In such cases, radiographically in visible skeletal lesions that document a history of trauma can often b e identified by a physical anthropologist with appropriate osteologica l experience. This is illustrated by cases in which skeletal remains o f four murdered children and a mentally handicapped adult produced evi dence of antemortem trauma and perimortem injuries that was critical i n developing murder cases against the assailants. In these cases, well -healed areas of subperiosteal new bone formation were identified that were below the threshold of radiographic detection. Such injuries pro vide strong evidence for a history of physical abuse.