SUICIDE IN MEXICO - CRIMINALISTIC AND FORENSIC MEDICAL ASPECTS OF SUICIDES OCCURRING IN THE FEDERAL DISTRICT DURING 1974

• NCJ Number: 42816
• Journal: CRIMINALIA Volume: 42 Issue: 1-6 Dated: (1976) Pages: 52-67
• Author(s): R JIMENEZ NAVARRO
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: Libararia Y Ediciones Botas
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: Spanish
• Country: Mexico

Annotation

DURING 1974, 5948 SUSPICIOUS DEATHS WERE INVESTIGATED IN THE FEDERAL DISTRICT OF MEXICO (MEXICO CITY), 276 OF WHICH (4.6 PERCENT) WERE CONSIDERED TO BE SUICIDES.

Abstract

ANALYSIS OF THESE SUICIDE CASES REVEALED THAT 80 PERCENT INVOLVED MEN WHERE FIREARMS OR HANGING WERE THE PREFERRED METHOD OF COMMITTING SUICIDE, AND THAT MOST SUBJECTS (60 PERCENT) WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 36, WITH 34.4 BEING THE MEAN. WHILE MEN RESORTED MOST OFTEN TO FIREARMS OR HANGING TO TAKE THEIR LIVES, WOMEN GENERALLY EITHER INGESTED SOME TYPE OF POISON (USUALLY AN OVERDOSE OF BARBITURATES). IN THESE CASES INVOLVING GUNSHOT WOUNDS, NO FIREARM WAS AVAILABLE FOR TESTING AND INVESTIGATION IN 25 OF THE CASES. IN THE REMAINING 94 CASES HANDGUNS (.38, .22, AND .32 CALIBER IN THAT ORDER) WERE USED MOST FREQUENTLY. NOTES WERE LEFT IN ONLY 63 (23 PERCENT) OF THE 276 SUICIDE CASES STUDIED. THESE CASES REPRESENTED A SUICIDE RATE OF ONLY 3.44 PER 100 THOUSAND AS COMPARED TO 12 PER 100 THOUSAND IN THE UNITED STATES. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. --IN SPANISH ,,,ELW