MORDIDAS CRIMINOSAS NO BRASIL: ANÁLISE DE REPORTAGENS DIVULGADAS ANTES, DURANTE E APÓS A PANDEMIA DO COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: The bite mark is defined as a mark made by the teeth that can be found on the skin, objects and food, which is capable of becoming evidence of great legal importance in forensic cases. Therefore, Forensic Dentistry plays a fundamental role in cases of aggression involving human bites, since professionals in this area can identify the perpetrator of the crime by analyzing the traces of the bite mark. Objective: To analyze the prevalence of human bite marks in Brazil, before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic, between the years 2018 and 2024 from news sites. Material and method: This is a study of the prevalence of bite marks in the last 7 years on the search engine "Google news", organized in a comparative table for later analysis. Results: A total of 107 cases were recorded, with the state of São Paulo having the highest number of occurrences. The prevalence was higher among females. The head and upper limbs were the most affected regions. Conclusion: It was possible to observe that there was an increase in the prevalence of human bite marks during and after the pandemic period. Therefore, it is essential that the Coroner's dentist increase his mastery and technical knowledge of bite marks, due to the growing number of cases of bite marks in Brazil.