Quicklime and Caustic Soda Water Effects on a Fresh Cadaver‪.‬

The leading cause of maternal death in Uruguay is caused by abortions made in uncertain conditions where the most elementary sanitary precautions are neglected. Daily, the poorest pregnant women in Uruguay allow unqualified individuals to perform abortions in clandestine places where extreme health risks exist. This article presents the case of Jane Doe, a 26-year-old Argentinean woman who died in Uruguay due to an acute hipovolemy caused by a secret illegal abortion made under unsanitary conditions. The midwife and her assistants who conducted the abortion sprinkled the cadaver with chemical agents commonly known as caustic soda water and quicklime to disfigure and/or destroy it completely before burying Jane Doe in the backyard of the midwife's property. This article's objective is to make a forensic contribution to what is known about quicklime and caustic soda water effects on fresh cadavers. This article is based on a case study where a fresh cadaver was subjected to such chemicals agents for about 1 year. It also describes changes on soft and bone tissues, hair, and dental pieces. The study showed that hair and long bones ephyphysis are more resistant to the effects of those chemical agents than other parts of the human body, like teeth and soft tissue. Using these body parts, DNA fingerprints analysis can help yield a positive identification of the human skeletal remains. Introduction