HOMICIDAL DEATHS BY FIREARMS IN PESHAWAR: AN AUTOPSY STUDY
Abstract
Background: Medico legal autopsies can be valuable sources of information about thedistribution of causes of reported deaths, particularly in homicidal cases. The present study
provides information regarding the homicidal deaths due to firearm injuries in the district of
Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan. Methodology: This descriptive study was conducted over the period
of the year 2004. Data were collected from the autopsy records of the Department of Forensic
Medicine, Khyber Medical College Peshawar and included all reported unnatural deaths from
urban and rural areas of district Peshawar on whom autopsies were conducted in the department.
Results: Homicidal deaths constituted 77.7% (492/633) of all autopsies for the year 2004. Of 492
homicidal deaths, a vast majority of 452 (91.87%) were caused by firearm injuries. Among these,
the male to female ratio was 5.5:1. The most common firearm weapon (418/452, 92.5%) were
high velocity rifled weapons (Kalashnikov, rifles, pistols), followed by low velocity rifled
weapons (18/452, 3.98%) and shotguns (16/452, 3.54%). A total of 956 injuries were found in
various body areas, giving an average of over two injuries per person. The head, face and neck
sustained the highest injuries (257, 26.9%), followed by the chest (248, 25.9%) and abdomen
(149, 15.6%); the extremities, buttocks and genitalia together sustained 302 (31.6%) injuries.
Conclusion: The vast majority of reported homicides in Peshawar are caused by firearm injuries,
which bring up issues related to possession of firearms and changes in cultural attitudes towards
use of firearms, if a decrease in firearm-related homicides is desired.
Key Words: Firearms, Homicide, Autopsy.
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