Defence Wound
Definition
Injury sustained while warding off an attack, typically incised or stab wounds on the palms, fingers, ulnar borders of forearms or back of forearm.
- Common sites
- Palms, fingers, ulnar forearm border, back of forearm
- Wound type
- Incised or stab wounds
- Significance
- Indicates victim was conscious and resisting
Common questions
Why do defence wounds matter to a medicolegal opinion?+
They help establish that the victim was conscious and actively resisting at the time of assault, which bears on the sequence of injuries and can counter a claim of accident or self-inflicted harm.
Can the absence of defence wounds rule out an assault?+
No. A victim who was asleep, incapacitated, restrained, or attacked from behind may show none, so their absence is not proof of consent or a staged scene.
Related terms
- Abraded Collar
- 1 to 3 mm rim of grazed skin around a firearm entry wound caused by the bullet stretching and scraping the skin...
- Abrasion
- A wound where friction or tangential force removes the superficial layers of skin without penetrating the full thickness. Abrasions preserve the direction...
- Chop Wound
- Combined incised and lacerated injury from a heavy edged weapon (axe, kulhari), often involving underlying bone.
- Contusion (Bruise)
- Blunt-force trauma that ruptures small vessels beneath an intact skin surface. Blood collects in the tissue. Location, size, and shape can indicate...
- Grievous Hurt
- Hurt falling within any of the eight clauses of BNS 2023 Section 116 (emasculation, vision loss, hearing loss, member or joint deprivation,...
- Incised Wound
- A wound produced by a sharp-edged implement. Margins are clean, without contusion or bridging. Depth is less than length in a classic...
- Injury
- Any harm whatever illegally caused to a person in body, mind, reputation or property (BNS 2023 Section 2(14), carrying forward IPC Section...
- Laceration
- A wound torn by blunt or shearing force, characterised by ragged, contused margins and tissue bridges crossing the wound depths. The distinction...
- Simple Hurt
- Any hurt that does not fall within the eight clauses of grievous hurt under BNS 2023 Section 116; punishable under Section 115.
- Stab (Punctured) Wound
- Wound produced by a pointed weapon where depth is greater than length on the skin; gives the best clue to weapon dimensions.
- Wound
- A breach of natural continuity of any tissue, living or dead, caused by physical or mechanical violence.