A body is found suspended by a ligature with the toes clearly touching the ground, yet death was from hanging. What is the minimum approximate force required to occlude the jugular veins, explaining why partial suspension is lethal?

• A About 30 kg
• B About 10 kg
• C About 15 kg
• D About 2 kg ✓

Explanation

The jugular veins can be occluded by roughly 2 kg of force, the carotid arteries by about 5 kg, and the trachea by about 15 kg. Even partial suspension, where only part of the body weight acts on the ligature, therefore compresses the jugulars and carotids, producing unconsciousness and death from cerebral hypoxia. The figure of 15 kg applies to tracheal compression, which explains why complete airway occlusion is not necessary for death in hanging.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 35th (Narayan Reddy) ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.