‘Chasing off the devil’ : medico-legal issues related to indigenous treatment of a child

Abstract

Indigenous remedies are often used as treatment for mental illnesses in Sri Lanka. This communication reports a case of a girl who underwent burn injuries to soles as a part of indigenous treatment.

A 14-year-old girl who developed sudden convulsions had her soles burnt by iron rods by an indigenous healer as a treatment. She was later admitted to a general hospital and treated for burn injuries on both soles and dissociative convulsions. She had to under- go skin graft, had a prolonged hospital stay, and was compelled to wear protective footwear for the rest of her life. Her burn injuries were initially categorized as first- grade, and non-grievous, by a medico-legal practitioner. However, a second medico- legal examination done under magistrate order by a Consultant Judicial Medical officer classified the injury as grievous as she had deep burns and a two-month hospital stay. Injuries were compatible with the history.

Review of the injury is necessary in burns of soles and palms due to the difficulty of recognizing the depth of the burn on initial examination. Request for a second medico- legal examination by a more competent medico-legal specialist or by a board of specialists is an alternative strategy available for victims and judiciary when the first medico-legal report is unsatisfactory.