This study aims to examine the development and functioning of forensic medicine in early Republican Turkiye through the analysis of original archival documents. It is a qualitative research based on document analysis. The data consisted of 38 archival documents identified through a systematic search conducted in the Republic Archive Catalogue of the Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye. The documents, dated between March 28, 1925, and August 11, 1949, were analyzed within a chronological and thematic framework. The findings demonstrate that forensic medicine in early Republican Turkiye evolved into an institutionalized medico-legal system integrated into the administrative and judicial structure of the state. The documents reveal the establishment of administrative positions, legislative and regulatory efforts, and the development of specialized roles within the institution. Forensic medical reports were actively used in judicial decision-making, particularly in cases involving sentence remission and pardon. In addition, the records indicate that forensic medicine institutions functioned as operational units requiring continuous logistical support. The findings also highlight the importance of experienced personnel, the presence of international professional mobility, and the interaction between forensic medicine and political processes in certain cases. This study provides an empirically grounded understanding of the historical development of forensic medicine in Turkiye by utilizing primary archival sources. It demonstrates that forensic medicine functioned as a dynamic system shaped by institutional, legal, operational, and sociopolitical factors, thereby contributing to the existing literature beyond descriptive historical accounts.

Sex estimation from human skeletal remains can be achieved using a diverse range of skeletal elements, methodologies, and statistical approaches. While population specificity presents a challenge for most metric sex assessment methods, the os coxae seems to bypass this issue due to its universal pattern of sexual dimorphism. The DSP2 (Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste, version 2) is a non-population-specific metric sex estimation method that employs a combination of at least four of ten measurements of the os coxae to estimate sex probabilistically. Despite the method being based on a worldwide meta-database, many populations remain unrepresented. The present study aims to test the DSP2 method on two previously untested European populations. A sample of 51 modern Italian os coxae and a sample of 53 British historical os coxae were used. The validity of the DSP2 method was evaluated through the sexing rate (88.24% for the Italian sample and 86.79% for the British sample) and sexing accuracy (ranging from 95.83% to 100%). The sex estimates were obtained by DSP2 with a 0.95 posterior probability threshold. Intra- and inter-observer error analyses revealed close to excellent reliability for most measurements (with the depth of the great sciatic notch being the only exception). The results of this study support the use of DSP2 on populations not represented in the original datasets, including modern Italian and historical British populations.

Individual identification plays an important role in forensic anthropology, where biological profiles are created. Estimating body height is a key parameter, alongside age, sex and ethnicity. This study aims to assess the relationship between height and hand dimensions, and to develop regression equations specific to the Slovak population. The sample consists of 125 women and 90 men aged 18-30. Twenty-two hand dimensions were measured on both hands (hand length and width, palm length, finger length, and the length of individual finger phalanges), as well as participants' height. The measurement data were subsequently analysed using simple and multiple regression analysis. Significant differences between the sexes were found for all measured variables, with bilateral asymmetry observed for certain dimensions. The accuracy of predicting height using these hand dimension-based equations ranges from ±5.14 to ±5.92 cm for women and from ±5.57 to ±7.35 cm for men. The results indicate a positive correlation between height and all hand-related variables (R = 0.366-0.894, p < 0.001), with a stronger association observed between hand and finger length than between finger phalanx length and height. Our study provides equations that can be used to estimate stature based on palm and finger measurements among Slovaks.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping healthcare, and forensic medicine and nursing are no exception. From automated wound pattern analysis to natural language processing (NLP) in medicolegal documentation, AI tools are entering a field situated at the intersection of clinical care, legal accountability, and human rights. This systematic review with narrative synthesizes contemporary clinical, forensic, and AI ethics literature to examine current and emerging applications of AI in forensic practice, with particular attention to injury interpretation, postmortem interval estimation, forensic imaging, survivor documentation, and medicolegal reporting. Forensic nursing practice, including sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs, domestic violence assessment, and paediatric abuse evaluation, is a central focus. The review critically evaluates ethical risks associated with deploying algorithmic decision-making in high-stakes forensic contexts where outputs may influence criminal outcomes and judicial proceedings. Issues of algorithmic bias, chain-of-custody integrity, explainability, and the potential displacement of clinical judgment are examined alongside practical considerations for implementation. Given the still-emerging forensic-specific evidence base, this review draws selectively on adjacent clinical disciplines while emphasizing the distinct medicolegal demands of forensic practice. Responsible integration of AI, the review concludes, requires interdisciplinary governance, equity-stratified validation, and preservation of the clinician-examiner's primary interpretive authority.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious public health and social problem, causing severe physical, emotional, and psychosocial harm to survivors. This retrospective, record-based, cross-sectional study aimed to assess the profile of CSA among child survivors attending the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) at a tertiary care hospital from 2016 to 2020 and to examine associated sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors. A total of 62 medicolegal records were analysed. The majority of survivors were adolescent girls aged 12-18 years (64.5%), while 35.5% were younger than 12 years, with most belonging to rural or lower-middle socioeconomic backgrounds. Over half of the children experienced abuse lasting more than one week (51.6%) and multiple episodes (51.6%). Penetrative assault was reported in 79% of cases, and revictimisation occurred in 50%. In 82.3% of incidents, the assailant was a known individual. Genital injuries were documented in 58.1% of survivors, and external physical injuries in 48.4%. The timing of examination was frequently delayed, with 75.8% of cases assessed more than 24 h after the incident. Police referrals accounted for 53.2% of cases, reflecting increasing awareness of the POCSO Act and child protection resources. These findings underscore that CSA predominantly affects adolescent girls, often involves known perpetrators, and is associated with repeated abuse and genital injuries. The study highlights the critical need for timely reporting, prompt forensic evaluation, and comprehensive multidisciplinary care. Strengthening awareness, prevention strategies, and child protection mechanisms is essential to reduce the burden of CSA and provide effective support for survivors.

The continuity of essential medications is a fundamental component of clinical governance within custodial healthcare. National standards, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Professional Guidance on the Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines[1] and the College of Policing's 2024 Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for Custody,[2] emphasise the importance of maintaining prescribed treatments to prevent avoidable clinical deterioration. Yet hormone replacement therapy (HRT) frequently remains excluded from rapid medicines continuity pathways, resulting in abrupt interruption for women entering police and prison custody despite risks highlighted in the UK National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) Menopause in Detention Toolkit.[3] This article examines the immediate physiological and psychological consequences of abrupt iatrogenic oestrogen withdrawal, framing endocrine withdrawal as an acute patient safety issue rather than a lifestyle concern. It integrates emerging evidence, including the UK National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) Menopause in Detention Toolkit,[3] the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) Menopause Impact Report,[4] and the growing recognition that women and clinicians require clearer evidence to support decisions regarding the continuation or discontinuation of hormone replacement therapy(Hamoda and Panay, 2024).[5] It also incorporates peer-reviewed neuroendocrine research demonstrating the destabilising effects of abrupt oestradiol withdrawal [6-8]. The paper argues for a paradigm shift in custodial healthcare, recognising hormone replacement therapy as an essential endocrine treatment requiring timely continuity of care. It proposes practical approaches to medicines verification and rapid bridging protocols to reduce avoidable endocrine withdrawal, support accurate clinical assessment and improve patient safety.