Page 6 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2022

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Page 6 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2022
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ºÚÁÏÉç RESEARCH    STUDY    VETERINARY SERVICES       ºÚÁÏÉç.AC.UK
             Pathology
            DEVELOPMENTS IN FORENSIC PATHOLOGY



                  even years ago the ºÚÁÏÉç appointed   Following the mutilation of more than 400   where  several  cats  had  gone  missing  or
                  Henny  Martineau  as  Head  of   cats  across  various  locations  in  London   were found dead or wounded. Dr Martineau
            S Forensic  Pathology,  to  lead  the   over the four-year period, media speculation   was able to differentiate cases that had been
            discipline  at  the  College.  The  team  has   grew – and it began to appear as though the   subject to deliberate injuries and those that
            worked  on  a  number  of  prominent  cases   ‘killer’ could be at large within the M25 and,   had  been  scavenged.  The  cats  that  were
            in recent years. The so-called ‘Croydon cat   later, across the whole of England.   deliberately injured appeared to have been
            killer’ was one such case.            The  speculation  led  the  Metropolitan   stabbed.  A  security  guard  subsequently
              The ºÚÁÏÉç Veterinary Forensic Pathology   Police  to  launch  an  investigation,  named   received a five-year sentence for killing and
            Service  receives  most  suspected  non-  ‘Operation Takahe’. A team of researchers   harming several cats.
            accidental death and injury cases from the   led  by  Dr  Martineau,  alongside  the
            RSPCA (which are often initiated by vets)   Metropolitan  Police  and  the  Hertfordshire
            and  around  10%  from  the  police.  Cases   Police, examined the bodies of 32 mutilated
            can  culminate  in  the  veterinary  forensic   cats.
            pathologist  delivering  evidence  in  court   Dr Martineau and her team took swabs
            as  a  professional  witness.  The  team  has   to  analyse  carcasses  for  the  presence  of
            received court room skills training to ensure   fox, dog and badger DNA, and performed
            written reports are suitable for use in court,   full post mortem examinations. The results
            and  to  provide  them  with  the  necessary   found  that  the  mutilations  had  occurred
            skills  to  present  evidence  in  court  and  be   after death. There was a clear link between
            prepared for cross-questioning.     cat carcass mutilation and the presence of   Evidence of postmortem scavenging of cats
              In addition to investigating such cases as   fox  DNA,  and  puncture  wounds  found  on   by foxes. There is scoring of the proximal
            diagnosticians, the team is actively involved   deceased  cats  were  consistent  with  what   diaphysis
            in  research  and  teaching.  There  are  five   would  be  expected  from  scavenging  by
            residents  involved  in  forensic  pathology   carnivores. Through a close examination of   Undergraduate Education
            training and seven faculty members.  Some   the carcasses, the team established that the   A  key  thing  in  forensic  pathology
            of the team’s recent research has focused   mutilation pattern of the cats examined was   contributions  to  veterinary  education  is
            on diagnosing drowning with post mortem   similar to the scavenging pattern of foxes on   raising awareness of non-accidental injuries
            findings (see image).               lambs. There was no evidence supporting   as a differential to consider. Third year ºÚÁÏÉç
                                                human involvement in the feline mutilation.  veterinary students have a day where the
            Croydon ‘cat killer’ and Brighton     For  carcasses  not  associated  with   RSPCA  and  Dog’s  Trust  talk  about  non-
            investigations                      predation, other probable causes of death   accidental  injuries  and  Dr  Martineau  talks
            Following  a  spate  of  mutilated  cats  found   were also identified, ranging from road traffic   to  them  about  forensics  pathology  work.
            dead  in  London  between  2014  and  2018,   accidents  to  liver  failure,  to  the  ingestion   Similar  events  also  take  place  at  each  of
            the story of the ‘Croydon cat killer’ caught   of antifreeze. Eight of the cats were found   the UK veterinary schools, with pathologists
            the  media’s  attention  and  the  public’s   to  have  suffered  from  cardiorespiratory   from  each  school  discussing  forensic
            imagination.  Articles  using  the  term   disease.                     pathology.
            ‘Croydon  cat  killer’  appeared  repeatedly   After  the  experience  of  working  on  and   Dr  Martineau  is  module  leader  for  the
            in  the  press,  with  each  new  dead  cat   helping  to  debunk  the  ‘Croydon  cat  killer’   Applications  of  Pathology  module  on  the
            discovered  reinforcing  the  narrative  of  an   case, the ºÚÁÏÉç veterinary forensic pathology   BSc course, which veterinary students can
            individual mutilating and beheading them.    expertise was applied to cases in Brighton,   take  if  they  intercalate.  The  forensics  unit
                                                                                    within  this  includes  a  court  room  scene
                                                                                    drama where students get to present their
                                                                                    evidence and cross-question each other to
                                                                                    simulate a court environment.
                                                                                     The Links Group raises awareness of the
                                                                                    relationship between the abuse of humans
                                                                                    and animals, through support, training and
                                                                                    inter-agency working.
                                                                                    Images  used  first  appeared  in  'Fox
                                                                                    (Vulpes vulpes)  involvement  identified
                                                                                    in a series of cat carcass mutilations', in
                                                                                    Veterinary Pathology (2022).



              Postmortem scavenging CT image. The cat's head and neck are missing at the level of the     For the Diagnostic Pathology Service,
              seventh cervical vertebra and the tail is absent distal to the fourth caudal vertebra  please call:01707 666 208
                                                                                           Email:
                                                                                         diagnosticlabs@rvc.ac.uk
            6   Autumn 2022
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