Forensic aspects of the burning of human corpses

Popov V.L.; Petrov V.V.

doi:https://doi.org/10.17116/sudmed20216405122

Popov V.L.

Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0001-7058-9541

Petrov V.V.

Saint Petersburg State University

Forensic aspects of the burning of human corpses

Authors:

Popov V.L., Petrov V.V.

More about the authors

Journal: Forensic Medical Expertise. 2021;64(5): 22‑26

DOI: 10.17116/sudmed20216405122

Read: 28937 times

Download PDF (RU)

Contact the author

Table of contents

To cite this article:

Popov VL, Petrov VV. Forensic aspects of the burning of human corpses. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2021;64(5):22‑26. (In Russ.)
https://doi.org/10.17116/sudmed20216405122

Подписка 2026 Судебно-медицинская экспертиза (Forensic Medical Expertise)

Использование инфографики авторами научных работ

Close metadata

Recommended articles:

Criminal-legal assessment of causality in violations of medical care committed at different stages. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(1):5-10

On the forensic significance of corpse’s «posture» in death from general hypothermia. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(1):22-29

Methodology for performing intralaboratory quality control in establishing species of the blood by IgGtotal with the use of quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(1):38-42

About compliance with the real conditions of adopted forensic models of the victim’s fall from standing position on the back. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(1):50-53

On the challenges and shortfalls of expert assessment of maxillofacial injuries with concussions according to medical documents only. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(1):54-58

Adducted specific impulse as a new prognostic criterion of after-penetration local contusion trauma severity. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(2):14-20

Expert evaluation of stillbirth in forensic medical practice. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(2):55-60

Uncharacteristic soft tissue injuries detectable in cases of death from general accidental hypothermia. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(3):20-27

Analysis of dissertations on forensic medicine devoted to medical errors in cases of improper healthcare delivery over a 15-year period (2009—2023). Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(3):57-64

Forensic medical expertise in the cases of sexual crimes: dynamics of indicators and regional features. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;(4):5-10

Abstract:

Objective — to outline the basic ideas about the conditions and results of the burning of human corpses and the potential possibilities of a forensic medical examination of the burned remains. It is impossible to burn the corpse of an adult to a state of only homogeneous ash not only on the fire, but also in special crematorium chambers. After the burning of the corpse, ash and bone fragments remain in a state of black, gray and white heat. The state of the cremated remains allows, at least, establishing the number of incinerated corpses, their species and anatomical affiliation. Reconstruction of the conditions of corpse burning is possible only within the framework of a comprehensive forensic examination with the participation of specialists in the field of fire-technical affairs and forensic medical experts. The exclusive competence of specialists in the field of fire-technical affairs is the verification of the conditions of combustion (type and volume of fuel, technical features of combustion, duration of cremation, etc.)

Keywords:

burning of corpses

technical specifications

and forensic medical examination

Authors:

Popov V.L.

Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0001-7058-9541

Petrov V.V.

Saint Petersburg State University

Received:

31.03.2021

Accepted:

17.04.2021

Close metadata

References:

Kubickij JuM. Kriminal’noe sozhzhenie: Dis. ... kand. med. nauk. M. 1941. (In Russ.).
Kubickij JuM. O kriminal’nom sozhzhenii trupov. V kn.: Trudy gosudarstvennogo nauchno-issledovatel’skogo instituta sudebnoy meditsiny. M.: Medgiz; 1949;195-197. (In Russ.).
Shupik JuP. Sudebno-meditsinskaya jekspertiza sgorevshikh trupov: Dis. ... kand. med. nauk. Kiev. 1964. (In Russ.).
Shupik JuP. Materialy dlya sudebno-medicinskoy ekspertizy trupa i odezhdy, podvergshikhsja znachitel’nomu deystviyu plameni (eksperimental’noe issledovanie): Dis. ... d-ra med. nauk. Kiev. 1974. (In Russ.).
Drapkin LJa, Gricaenko PP. The value of forensic medical examination in the system of disclosing and investigating crimes. Rossijskiy yuridicheskiy zhurnal. 2006;1:138-141. (In Russ.).
Arhipova AN. New technology of forensic medical examination of skeletonized and burned human remains. Rossijskiy sledovatel’. 2008;18:2-3. (In Russ.).
Arhipova AN, Kitaev NN. The actual questions of the forensic medical examination in the cases when the corpse of the victim is missing. Uchenye zapiski Tavricheskogo nacional’nogo universiteta im. V.I. Vernadskogo. 2009;1(61):255-261. (In Russ.).
Lavrov IV. Truposozhiganie i krematorii. M.: Gorodskaya tipografiya; 1908. (In Russ.).
Shupik JuP. K voprosu o kriminal’nom sozhzhenii trupov. Sudebnaya medicina i reanimatologiya. Materialy rasshirennoy konferencii sudebnykh medikov Tatarii (nauchnye trudy). Kazan’. 1969;26:84-86. (In Russ.).
Delo o d’jachke Vasilii Efimove, kaznennom v Novgorode sozhzheniem za lozhnoe chudo v 1721. Russkij arhiv. 1867;12:1708-1720. (In Russ.).
Rajces VI. Process Zhanny d’Ark. M.—L.: Nauka; 1964. (In Russ.).
Интернет-ресурс: https://samlib.ru/t/tonina_o_i/muffel.shtml (дата обращения: 02.12.20).
Bartel’ G. Kremaciya. M.: Izdanie M.K.H.; 1925. (In Russ.).
Bartel’ G. Ognennoe pogrebenie v Japonii. Kommunal’noe khozjajstvo. 1925;20:61-67. (In Russ.).
Pravzdik B. Kremacija. Kratkij obzor istoricheskikh fazisov ee rasprostraneniya i podrobnoe opisanie priborov, primenjaemykh v nastojashchee vremya. SPb.: Tipo-litografiya i Fototipiya V.I. Shteyna; 1892. (In Russ.).
Kashkadamov VP. K voprosu o truposzhiganii. Vrachebnaja gazeta. 1909;29:889-890. (In Russ.).
Bartel’ G. Kremaciya v Soedinennykh Shtatakh Ameriki. Kommunal’noe khozjajstvo. 1925;13:14-20. (In Russ.).
Bartel’ G. Sovremennoe polozhenie kremacii v Anglii. Kommunal’noe khozjajstvo. 1925;19:90-98. (In Russ.).
Kuvshinov VA. O kriminal’nom szhiganii trupov. Sudebnaya meditsina i reanimatologiya. Materialy rasshirennoy konferentsii sudebnykh medikov Tatarii (nauchnye trudy). Kazan’. 1969;79-81. (In Russ.).
Krematsiya. Bol’shaya Sovetskaya enciklopediya. M.: OGIZ-Gosudarstvennyu institut «Sovetskaya enciklopediya». 1937;34:712-713. (In Russ.).
Rostovcev A. Za ideyu krematsii. M.—L.: OGIZ-Moskovskiy rabochiy; 1931. (In Russ.).
Tumanov JeV, Kil’djushov EM, Sokolova ZJu. Sudebno-meditsinskaya tanatologiya. Sudebno-meditsinskaya kharakteristika i otsenka posmertnykh izmeneniy. Obgoranie (karbogenizaciya) trupa. M.: JurInfoZdrav; 2011; Gl. VII. (In Russ.).
Pazenko TJa, Filipchuk OV, Nikolaenko AA. Ekspertnye vozmozhnosti opredeleniya vremeni polnogo sozhzheniya trupa ili ego chastey. Tretiy vsesojuznyu s#ezd sudebnykh medikov 14—16 dekabrya 1988 g.: Tezisy dokladov. M.—Odessa. 1988;198-199. (In Russ.).
Knobloh Je. Meditsinskaya kriminalistika. Praga (ChSSR). Gos. Izd-vo med. literatury. Izd. 2-e. 1960. (In Russ.).
Kandibur RI. O vozmozhnosti obuglivanija trupov gorjachim vozdukhom. Sudebno-meditsinskyja ekspertiza. M. 1966.1:15-16. (In Russ.).
Kolosova VM, Strelec NN. Metodicheskie ukazaniya ob issledovanii zoly v sluchayakh sozhzheniya trupa (iz’yatie, podgotovka i emiss.-spektr. analiz ob’ektov). M.: B.i.; 1973. (In Russ.).
Shhegolev SB. Sudebno-meditsinskaya ekspertiza kremirovannykh ostankov: Dis. ... kand. med. nauk. M. 2001. (In Russ.).
Popov VL, Umrikhina MYu, Stoletova AV, Troshin EL, Abramov AS. About influence of the concentrated sulfuric acid on process of burning of biological fabrics. Al’manah sudebnoy meditsiny. 2018;41(49):72-75. (In Russ.).