Custody suicide with washrag: a case report with clinical and custodial consideration

Abstract

Custody or prison suicides with a washrag are rather unusual and few case reports present in the forensic literature. Completed suicide by using a washrag without the awareness of custody supervisors and medical staff ought to draw attention to related personnel. We report a case of suicide where the victim was a suspect with criminal cases, who had been put behind bars in local custody. However, the next day the man was found in an unconscious state and scant of breath. After admission and first-aid treatment, the victim was pronounced dead. Significantly, a half-piece of washrag was found blocked in his laryngeal cavity, inosculating with another piece concealed in his underpants. The psychological condition of criminal offenders is extremely complicated and varies with each individual. Effective administration and moderate counseling are not mutually exclusive with each other and both should afford the criminals a sense of calmness to face consequences.