Female Autoerotic Deaths – Still Often Overlooked

Abstract

Female autoerotic deaths are less common than male ones and usually present in a less obvious way. Thus, such deaths can be easily overlooked, even by senior investigators, if the latter are not fully aware of the particularities of female autoerotic cases. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman, found dead in her apartment, with several foreign body insertions and a dog leash around the neck. Despite the great experience of the investigative team, autoerotic death was not considered at first. This case illustrates the importance of forensic teams having knowledge of the particularities of female autoerotic deaths.