ANALYSIS OF HOMICIDAL DEATHS IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN
Abstract
Background: Homicide is one of the oldest crimes in human civilization. For every person whodies as a result of homicide, many more are injured. A study of the patterns of homicide in asociety is one of the first steps in developing strategies to prevent it. This study was conductedat the department of Forensic Medicine Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, to know thepatterns of homicide, taking it as the first step in the prevention of this crime. Methods: Thisstudy includes 520 cases of homicide out of the total of 662 medico-legal autopsies conducted atKhyber Medical College, Peshawar, during the year 2002. The cases have been labeled ashomicide on the basis of autopsy and police inquest. Results: The homicide rate for Peshawarduring the period under study was 22.9/100,000. Males constituted 86.15% of the victims. 32%of the victims were in their third decade of life. Firearms were the causative agent in 86% of thecases. Chest was the primarily targeted area of the body. The highest number of homicidesoccurred in the month of November. Conclusions: The homicide rate is alarmingly high inPeshawar as is the use of firearms. This is something that should be seriously looked at by thepolicy makersReferences
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