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COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is highly contagious. The persistence of the virus after infected individuals die remains unclear. This article reports the findings taken from postmortem nasopharyngeal swabs performed to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the corpses transferred to the Genoa District Mortuary from the outset of the Italian lockdown (March 9) to the end of the first emergency phase (July 13). One hundred and eighty swabs were carried out: 13 corpses resulted positive for the virus, with the diagnosis being reached only after death. Seven were male and 6 female with an average age of 73.5 years old. The most frequent comorbidities recorded were arterial hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and pulmonary disease. In two cases, the swab tested positive at a distance of 125 h and 165 h from actual death. The nasopharyngeal swab results a useful way to screen corpses for COVID-19 and to handle bodies in Legal Medicine Centers where safe autoptic rooms are not available. Swabs are also a means of safeguarding forensic pathologists, identifying the presence of breeding grounds in the community and providing information for the Public Prosecutor's Office in legal cases. They are able to produce reliable results up to at least 7 days following death, provided that the corpse is correctly preserved.

Functional neurological disorders can have different clinical manifestations, including coma, in the setting of an unknown etiology. In this article, we present a case of a young man affected by intellectual disabilities who, after a physical assault reported serious neurological alterations and a functional coma. This case shows how a stressful psychophysical event can bring acute and variable neurological manifestations of functional significance to a victim with previous intellectual disabilities. Despite the growing interest in this field, research is still very limited and studies in this field could better explain the nature of the psychogenic coma. From a medico-legal point of view, problems of evaluation may emerge for these disorders emerge as a result of acute psycho-physical stress and without any detectable structural alterations.

Background/Objectives: On 22 February 2021, a coastal landslide in Italy caused the collapse of an old cemetery, displacing approximately 370 coffins, with over 200 plunging into the sea. This disaster necessitated the recovery and identification of human remains under challenging conditions to provide closure to families and uphold the dignity of the deceased. Methods: Recovery operations involved firefighters and scuba divers, followed by forensic analysis conducted by the Medical Staff of Legal and Forensic Medicine. A post-mortem team utilized forms adapted from Interpol’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) standards to document remains, which included 140 decomposed bodies and 193 bags of commingled skeletal remains. DNA samples were collected from 147 bone fragments, primarily long bones and teeth, and compared with ante-mortem data gathered from relatives. Results: Of the 77 eligible relatives, 66 consented to DNA sample collection for genetic profiling, and 28 bodies were identified. Personal effects, clothing, medical devices, and a strong match between non-genetic AM and PM data led to an attribution of identity of other 19 individuals. Advanced post-mortem phenomena were observed in remains spanning from the late 19th century to 2017. An identification area at the cemetery facilitated streamlined operations, emphasizing environmental preservation and forensic accuracy. Conclusions: The cemetery collapse highlights the necessity for tailored forensic approaches in disaster scenarios. Accurate identification methods, combining genetic analysis and secondary means, are crucial for ensuring dignified burials and providing closure to affected families.

Ageing of the global population represents a challenge for national healthcare systems and healthcare professionals, including medico-legal experts, who assess personal damage in an increasing number of older people. Personal damage evaluation in older people is complex, and the scarcity of evidence is hindering the development of formal guidelines on the subject. The main objectives of the first multidisciplinary Consensus Conference on Medico-Legal Assessment of Personal Damage in Older People were to increase knowledge on the subject and establish standard procedures in this field. The conference, organized according to the guidelines issued by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), was held in Bologna (Italy) on June 8, 2019 with the support of national scientific societies, professional organizations, and stakeholders. The Scientific Technical Committee prepared 16 questions on 4 thematic areas: (1) differences in injury outcomes in older people compared to younger people and their relevance in personal damage assessment; (2) pre-existing status reconstruction and evaluation; (3) medico-legal examination procedures; (4) multidimensional assessment and scales. The Scientific Secretariat reviewed relevant literature and documents, rated their quality, and summarized evidence. During conference plenary public sessions, 4 pairs of experts reported on each thematic area. After the last session, a multidisciplinary Jury Panel (15 members) drafted the consensus statements. The present report describes Conference methods and results, including a summary of evidence supporting each statement, and areas requiring further investigation. The methodological recommendations issued during the Conference may be useful in several contexts of damage assessment, or to other medico-legal evaluation fields.