Investigation of criminal poisonings

Umori z zastrupitvami so kazniva dejanja, ki so v primerjavi z drugimi načini umorov redka. Njihovo odkrivanje ni enostavno. Umor z zastrupitvijo ne vzbuja sumov o storjenem kaznivem dejanju. Tudi kraj dejanja in izbor načina umora nista tipična in zahtevata od preiskovalcev drugačne pristope preiskovanja. Umori z zastrupitvijo so se pojavljali že od nekdaj in še danes veljajo za misteriozna kazniva dejanja, ki odpirajo veliko vprašanj. Storilci namesto po klasičnem orožju posežejo po različnih toksičnih snoveh, ki s svojim delovanjem v odvisnosti od njihovega odmerka lahko povzročijo znake, ki sprva spominjajo na začetek neke bolezni, nato pa se simptomi stopnjujejo in na koncu sledi smrt. Vsaka snov, katere odmerek je dovolj velik, je potencialen strup, ki lahko povzroči znake in simptome bolezni ali smrt. To so bodisi farmacevtski izdelki, čistila, pesticidi, kemikalije, strupene rastline ali živali, droge, kemično orožje, težke kovine itd. Storilec strup izbere glede na to, kako težko ga je odkriti v telesu žrtve, oziroma se ga pri obdukciji in s toksikološkimi preiskavami težko zazna in ki v odvisnosti od odmerka povzroči relativno hitro in gotovo smrt. Poleg izbora primernega strupa je za storilca ključen dober načrt in priprava na dejanje. Pri preiskovanju takšnih kaznivih dejanj morajo preiskovalci tesno sodelovati z zdravstveno stroko, ki pri tem igra ključno vlogo. Ugotovitve zdravnikov, ki so bili v stiku z žrtvijo, lahko razjasnijo marsikatero dilemo. Obdukcija in toksikološke preiskave so v primerih umorov z zastrupitvijo ključne in lahko v najbolj idealnem primeru (če ne gre za izjemno težko izsledljiv strup) podajo odgovore na vsa vprašanja o morebitni zastrupitvi. V primerih, ko gre za zastrupitev z redkim strupom, je potrebno sodelovanje z različnimi institucijami in laboratoriji, ki razpolagajo s primerno opremo za odkrivanje in dokazovanje določenega strupa. V Sloveniji so to med drugim Inštitut za sodno medicino, Institut »Jožefa Stefana«, Inštitut za mikrobiologijo in imunologijo, Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo itd. Če se sumi o storjenem kaznivem dejanju pojavijo, ko je truplo že pokopano, sledi izkop trupla (ekshumacija) in ponovna obdukcija ter toksikološke preiskave, da bi se ugotovilo pravi vzrok smrti.Criminal poisonings are criminal actions which do not occur frequently in comparison to other types of murder. Detection of such crimes is difficult since criminal poisoning does not raise suspicion of a crime. Crime scene and the choice of a murder weapon are not typical and require different approaches in the investigation process. Murderers have been choosing poison for a long period of time and such murders are still considered mysterious crimes which raise many questions for criminal investigators. Instead of using conventional weapons, perpetrators resort to a variety of toxic substances which by their action, depending on their dose, can produce signs that initially resemble the onset of a disease. The symptoms then escalate and eventually cause death. Any substance with a high enough dose is a potential poison that can cause signs and symptoms of an illness or death (for example pharmaceuticals, pesticides, chemicals, toxic plants or animals, drugs, chemical weapons, heavy metals, among others). The perpetrator chooses the poison according to how difficult it is to detect the said poison in the body of the victim, or how difficult it is to detect it during an autopsy and toxicological tests and which, depending on the dose, causes relatively fast and certain death. In addition to choosing the right poison, a good plan and preparation are crucial for the perpetrator. When it comes to the investigation, investigators must work closely with medical professionals. The findings of physicians who have been in contact with the victim can clarify many dilemmas. Autopsy findings and toxicological tests are crucial in the investigation and can provide answers to many difficult questions about the potential poisoning (unless the poison is extremely difficult to detect). In cases where rare poisons are involved, cooperation with various institutions and laboratories that have the appropriate equipment to detect and prove a particular poison is required. Such institutions in Slovenia are for example The Institute of Forensic Medicine, The Jožef Stefan Institute, The Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, and The Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. If a suspicion of criminal offense occurs when the corpse is already buried, an exhumation of the corpse is carried out. After the exhumation an autopsy and toxicological tests are carried out to determine the true cause of death