Pentobarbital and phenytoin injected for torture purposes

TRABAJO LIBRE SOMETIDO AL III CONGRESO DE CIENCIAS FORENSES DE HONDURAS DEL 8 AL 10 DE OCTUBRE, TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS

Abstract

Introduction: The detection of barbiturates in autopsies is unusual, especially without evidence at the scene indicating their intentional administration or without a context of their therapeutic use. The presence of these drugs in torture victims is described as "pharmacological torture." This type of torture involves the use of chemical substances, primarily intravenously, to induce a state between sleep and wakefulness with the intention of eliciting "confessions." The suffering inflicted on the victim stems from the belief in the lethal effects of these substances or the potential for revelations during their use, beyond the purely physical. The substances used include barbiturates such as thiopental and pentobarbital ^1–3.

These methods, colloquially known as "truth serum," have been employed by government intelligence services in interrogations, and although their effectiveness is not well-founded, they continue to be used in some countries ^2–5.

These methods have been employed by government intelligence services in interrogations, and although their effectiveness is not well-supported, they continue to be used in some countries ^2–5.

Case Summary: New patterns of violence have recently been observed in Bogotá, including bodies abandoned in remote and unidentified locations, with injury patterns consistent with pharmacological torture due to injections of pentobarbital and phenytoin. Examination of the bodies of some victims showed punctures in vascular areas surrounded by purplish-ochre zones associated with extensive epidermal detachment (Figure A). Dissection revealed tissue necrosis (Figure B) and thrombotic occlusion of the punctured veins (Figure C). Toxicological tests on samples taken from the puncture site and from blood revealed the presence of the aforementioned substances.
Discussion and Conclusions: The finding of cutaneous and vascular lesions, with the presence of phenytoin and phenobarbital, will allow for the suspicion of pharmacological torture in cases lacking context, and will encourage further investigation to find other elements that confirm this hypothesis, as well as help to understand the dynamics of violence and torture in the region.