A case of extreme sexual self-mutilation

Abstract

We report on a case of extreme sexual self-mutilation in which the subject inflicted severe trauma to his genitalia and then falsely reported a sexual assault. The 30-year-old white male did not report the incident for 10 days and then checked into a hospital. The hospital called the Westminster Police Department after the subject reported that he was the victim of a sexual assault in our city. This case is unusual in that the subject's initial behavior and story did not indicate deception. It was not until the subject's computer was searched that investigators determined that the injuries were self-inflicted. Without this critical information the case might still remain open as a sexual assault. This case is reported to broaden our understanding of this behavior and inform investigators of the potential for this type of self-inflicted injury. © 2009 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.