水中屍體之死因和死亡方式的分析與探討-台北地檢署民國95~99年相驗案件為例

Abstract

對於司法工作者而言，要確定水中屍體死亡方式是一件相當困難的事情，雖然經由解剖屍體可以知道死者的死因，但是經過詳細的調查之後，往往死者的死亡方式仍為未確定，死者家屬不僅難以撫平悲傷的心情，也因為死亡方式無法確定而無法順利獲得保險理賠。因此，本研究收集台北地檢署民國95~99年間有關水中屍體的相驗案例共226件，以六個提問包括何人?何事?何時?何地?何物?為何?為研究導向，探討影響水中屍體死亡方式認定的因素。結果在226件水中發現的屍體中，男性佔65%，女性佔35%，平均年齡為51.24±20.61歲，年齡層以45~65歲中年人為最多(32.3%)。分析水中屍體事件發生類型以「事件不明」比率最高佔48.2%，其次是「投水跳河」20.4%、「游泳戲水」15.9%、「意外跌落」10.2%、「沐浴泡澡」5.3%。事件發生時間以白天08:~16:00的比率最高(34.5%)。意外死亡案件多出現在夏季6、7、8、9月，而自殺發生的頻率成規律性波動並沒有季節性的變化。屍體發現地點類型以河域為最多(77.4%)、其餘分布在浴缸、大水溝、池塘、游泳池、溫水浴池、儲水設備。死因中溺水死亡者佔88.1%，非溺水死亡者佔11.5%，死因不明者佔0.4%。死亡方式以自殺為最多佔37.6%，其次是意外死35.4%，未確定者佔22.6%，自然死或病死者有4.4%，他殺0.0%。死者的職業狀況、財務狀況、保險狀況、情感問題、精神疾病、身體疾病、自殺紀錄及遺書狀況都是影響死亡方式認定的因素。

It is an important and difficult affair for judicial worker to determine the manner of death of body found in water. The cause of death could be easily made after autopsy the body, but the manner of death was uaually unknow after detailed investigation. The impact was not only in their emotion instability but also they could not get the insurance payment due to undetermining manner of death. Hence, this study collected 226 drowning cases from January 2006 to December 2010 from Taipei District Prosecutors Office. There were six basic questions including 「who? how? when? where? what? why?」as thinking process in disuccing the factors which probably affected the determination of manner of death. In this study, amog the total number of 226 drowing cases were 65% males and 35% females, mean age was 51.24±20.61 and most cases (32.3%) occurred in the age-interval 45~65 years in both sexs. Compared all of materials, the most common (48.2%) of activity prior to drowning was unknow, followed (20.4%) by jumping into water, swimming (15.9%), accidental fall (10.2%), bathing (5.3%). Most of drowning cases (34.5%) were occrrred between 08:00 and 16:00 during the daytime. Most accident cases occurred in summer while the incidence of suicide cases showed no different in relation to seasons. The place of finding dead body was predominated (77.4%) distributed in opening waters like rivers, streams. Canals, ponds, swimming pool, spa pool, and reservoir were reported, too. The main cause of death was drowning in 88.1% cases and 11.5% cases were not related to drowning. Only 1 (0.04%) had no known cause of death. The manner of death was suicide (37.6%), followed by accident (35.4%), unknow (22.6%), natural death (4.4%), homicide (0.0%). Many factors including unemployment, debts, insurance, emotional problems, psychological illness, physical illness, suicide history, suicide note had been linked to affect the diagnosis of manner of death.