Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate traumatic injuries resulting from wounding crimes from a forensic medical perspective, determine the demographic characteristics of the victims, and characterize injury patterns. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 2,164 forensic reports prepared between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Gülhane Training and Research Hospital. Data including gender, age, marital status, educational level, type of assault, nature of the forensic traumatic event, traumatic injuries, affected body regions, and injury characteristics were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. The results were evaluated statistically. RESULTS: Of the victims, 72.8% were male and 27.2% female. Injuries occurred most frequently in the 21-30 age group (30.4%). A significant decrease in the incidence of injuries was observed with increasing education levels (p<0.05). The fact that 22.1% of victims were university graduates suggests that higher education may serve as a protective factor against victimization. The most common cause of trauma was assault (54.6%), followed by traffic accidents (35.9%). Injuries often involved multiple body regions (39.3%), with the head-neck region (30.6%) and upper extremities (13.4%) being most commonly affected. It was determined that 66.6% of the injuries were mild enough to be treated with simple medical interventions, while 6.9% were life-threatening. Traffic accidents were significantly associated with fractures and dislocations (23.6%). Additionally, facial injuries due to assaults occurred frequently and were statistically significant (68.6%; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the demographic distribution of assault-related crimes and the forensic implications of traumatic injuries, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures and the necessity for multidisciplinary collaboration.