Pro-active drug-facilitated crimes (DFC): a study in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Paris, France.

INTRODUCTION: Proactive drug facilitated crime (DFC) is the administration of psychoactive substances (PAS) for criminal purposes without the victim's knowledge or by force. In Paris, France, patients who report suspected proactive DFC to the police are examined at the Department of Forensic Medicine (DFM) of the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital. Preventively blood and urine samples are collected but not systematically analyzed by the judicial authority. We aimed to assess the proportion of probable proactive DFC in patients examined at the Hôtel-Dieu DFM following a police report for suspected proactive DFC. METHOD: Blood and urine samples were collected from 100 patients. Toxicological analyses were performed by the toxicology laboratory of the Lariboisière Hospital. The results were correlated with the clinical data collected at the initial and follow-up consultations. RESULTS: At least one PAS was detected in 86% of the cases (voluntary or involuntary intake). After correlation with clinical data, 32% of the cases were classified as probable proactive DFC. In these cases, 49% of the substances identified were illicit substances (amphetamines, MDMA, etc.); 16% were benzodiazepines and related substances; 16% were antihistamines and sedatives; 14% were opioids; and 5% were antidepressants and anti-epileptics. In 90% of the cases, patients reported a voluntary ethanol consumption in the hours prior to the suspected proactive DFC. CONCLUSION: Toxicological analyses revealed a high proportion of both probable proactive DFC and probable opportunistic DFC. Our results indicate the need to perform systematical toxicological analysis in cases of suspected DFC.

Suspicion of needle pricking/spiking in 2022 in Paris, France, an observational study from the Department of Forensic Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Needle pricking, the act of being intentionally pricked by an assailant, and needle spiking, the covert injection of substances using a needle, have historical precedents and recently resurfaced in Europe in 2022. This resurgence presented a challenge for emergency and forensic medicine departments. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in the forensic medicine department of Paris, France, including all patients who consulted for suspected needle pricking/spiking in 2022, following a police report. The study aimed to provide epidemiological data on victims, circumstances, and the results of toxicologic and serological analyses. FINDINGS: Of all assault victims in 2022, patients reporting or suspecting needle pricking/spiking represented 1.2 % of the total (171 cases). Most cases involved women (81.9 %) with a median age of 21.75 years. Incidents often occurred in festive contexts (84.8 %). Over a third of the patients didn't report any symptoms (37.5 %). Amnesia, nausea, and dizziness were common symptoms among those who did. Patients reporting alcohol consumption were more likely to experience symptoms (p < 0.05). Over half of the patients displayed physical examinations consistent with needle pricking, with pricks mostly on their arms. Not all patients underwent toxicologic analyses (30.6 %), but all results were negative. Despite most patients not providing follow-up serology results, all received results were negative. INTERPRETATION: Overall, our data are more suggestive of needle pricking than spiking. Although women were overrepresented, there was no evidence of sexual motivation on the part of the perpetrators. It's possible that the perpetrators wanted to instill fear in the population without a specific goal. This form of violence necessitates preventive measures in festive venues and enhanced efforts to detect psychoactive substance.

Male Victims of Rape: An Observational Study over Four Years in Paris, France.

Sexual violence is a common and under-reported form of violence that affects all categories of individuals. We sought to provide epidemiological data on men aged 15 years and over, victims of rape or suspecting a rape, and who reported it to the police. We conducted a retrospective study at the Department of Forensic Medicine of Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, France, between 2018 and 2021. Two-hundred men were included in the study, with an average age of 28.8 years. A vulnerability was mentioned for 17.5% of them. Most of the patients reported anal penetration, committed by a single male assailant, whom they met on the day of the assault. More than 60% of the patients reported the voluntary consumption of alcohol and/or illicit substances prior to the assault. Most patients were examined shortly after the assault (median 1 day). Anal lesions were found on examination in 37.0% of patients reporting anal penetration regardless of the time frame. The presence of anal lesions was statistically higher when patients were examined within 48 h. Our results reinforce the data in the literature on the risk factors associated with sexual violence among men, notably the consumption of alcohol and illicit substances, and psychological, economic, and social vulnerability.