Forensic challenges in establishing viability and cause of death in a mutilated and decomposed case of suspected female feticide: a case report

Introduction: Female feticide remains a significant medico-legal and public health concern in India. Advanced decomposition and mutilation complicate autopsy interpretation and determination of live birth.
Case Presentation: A mutilated female foetus was recovered from rural Punjab in 2023. Only the lower abdomen, pelvis, and lower limbs were available. Measurements included length 33 cm, weight 1.2 kg, and foot length 6.5 cm. Female genitalia were identifiable. Advanced decomposition obscured postmortem changes. The umbilical cord (9 cm) was irregularly crushed, without haemorrhagic infiltration. Ossification centres were present in the talus, distal femur, and proximal tibia bilaterally. Internal organ distinction was impossible due to decomposition and missing organs. No vital reaction was observed at the wound margins.
Conclusion: This case underscores the interpretive limits of foetal autopsy under adverse conditions while reinforcing the urgent socio-legal imperative to address sex-selective practices. The case illustrates key forensic challenges: inability to determine live-birth status due to absence of lungs and decomposition; viability assessment supported by ossification centres (~28–30 intra-uterine weeks); and differentiation of postmortem mutilation from antemortem trauma, with findings favouring scavenging. Emerging literature highlights the value of integrating taphonomic knowledge, virtopsy, and meticulous documentation of both positive and negative findings to strengthen medico-legal conclusions.