A guide to classify tattoo motives in Mexico as a tool to identify unknown bodies.

Holz, F; Carrillo-Núñez, G G; Martinez Peña, E G; Rivera Martinez, A A; de la Peña Jiménez, I G; Bonilla Virgen, Ramon; Verhoff, M A; Birngruber, Christoph G

Holz, F; Carrillo-Núñez, G G; Martinez Peña, E G; Rivera Martinez, A A; de la Peña Jiménez, I G; Bonilla Virgen, Ramon; Verhoff, M A; Birngruber, Christoph G.

Afiliação

Holz F; Department of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Kennedyallee 104, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany.
Carrillo-Núñez GG; Departamento de Morfología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Martinez Peña EG; Comité de Alteraciones en el Desarrollo Sexual, Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Fray Antonio Alcalde", Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Rivera Martinez AA; Instituto Jalisciense de Ciencias Forenses, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
de la Peña Jiménez IG; Instituto Jalisciense de Ciencias Forenses, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Bonilla Virgen R; Servicio de Cirugía Medicina Legal, Antiguo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Verhoff MA; Department of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Kennedyallee 104, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany.
Birngruber CG; Department of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Kennedyallee 104, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany. birngruber@med.uni-frankfurt.de.

Int J Legal Med ; 136(4): 1105-1111, 2022 Jul.

Article em En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35378600

RESUMO

JUSTIFICATION: In Mexico, the number of unidentified bodies has been steadily rising for years. By now, more than 50,000 bodies are considered unidentified. Forensic laboratories that could perform comparative molecular genetic investigation are often overburdened and examinations can take months. Therefore, pragmatic approaches that can help to identify more unknown bodies must be sought. The increased use of distinctive physical features might be one, and the high rate of tattooed people in Mexico points towards a great potential of tattoos as a tool for identification. The prerequisite for a comparison of antemortem (missing persons) and postmortem (unknown bodies) data is an objective description of the particularities, e.g., of the tattoos. The aim of this study was to establish an objective classification for tattoo motives, taking into consideration local preferences. METHODS: In the database of the medicolegal services of the Instituto Jaliscience de Ciencias Forenses (IJCF) in Guadalajara, postmortem data of 1000 tattooed bodies from 2019 were evaluated. According to sex and age, the tattooed body localization and the tattoo motives were categorized. RESULTS: The 1000 tattooed deceased showed tattoos on 2342 body localizations. The motives were grouped and linked to the following 11 keywords (with decreasing frequency): letters/numbers, human, symbol (other), plant, symbol (religious), animal, object, fantasy/demon/comic, tribal/ornament/geometry, other, unrecognizable. CONCLUSION: Using the proposed classification, tattoo motives can be described objectively and classified in a practical way. If used for antemortem (missing persons) and postmortem (unknown bodies) documentation, motives can be searched and compared efficiently-helping to identify unknown bodies.

Assuntos

Tatuagem; Autopsia; Medicina Legal; Humanos; México; Motivação

Palavras-chave

Body modification; Classification; DVI; Identification; Identifier; Tattoo

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Texto completo: 1 Coleções: 01-internacional Base de dados: MEDLINE Assunto principal: Tatuagem Limite: Humans País/Região como assunto: Mexico Idioma: En Revista: Int J Legal Med Assunto da revista: JURISPRUDENCIA Ano de publicação: 2022 Tipo de documento: Article País de afiliação: Alemanha País de publicação: Alemanha

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