Self-immolation after suicidal opening of the abdominal cavity

The forensic medical assessment of secondary combined suicides requires both the morphological differentiation between third party and self-mutilation as well as the assessment of a possible capacity to act after an unsuccessful first suicide attempt. This article presents a case report of a 40-year-old man who burned himself to death after a self-inflicted abdominal incision wound. Based on the results of the forensic analysis of the injuries together with the chemical toxicological investigation, crime scene and bloodstain pattern analysis, an external influence could be excluded. This case illustrates the complexity of combined suicides and the importance of analyzing the plausibility of each of the possible actions leading to the victim's death.