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One-punch deaths draw considerable legal and media attention due to the nature of catastrophic events and their impact on victims and families. Empirical research on the sentencing outcomes and offence categories faced by the perpetrators is non-existent. This Australian study examined judicial sentencing reviews to unpack perpetrator characteristics, offence patterns and sentencing outcomes for one-punch fatalities over a 30-year period. Two hundred and eighty-seven perpetrator convictions were reported by various parameters such as median sentencing length, injury mechanism and maximum sentencing categories. Secondary outcomes were details of concentrations of alcohol and illicit drug usage and usage of one-punch specific laws, hitherto unelucidated for one-punch assaults. Nearly all perpetrators were male with a median age of 26 years, with 61% charged in New South Wales and Victoria alone. The median sentence length of imprisonment was 3.8-11.5 years for a manslaughter conviction. Median sentence length when categorized by injury mechanism demonstrated variation in both life sentence and one-punch offence categories. About 40% of Australian perpetrators were convicted under one-punch laws in states where these were introduced. The study will increase knowledge and public awareness regarding the impact of one-punch violence and outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Associate Professor Jennifer Schumann is a board member of the Coward Punch Limited, an Australian Charity (funding body) since December 2023. Professor Schumann was not a board member when the research was completed.

Femicide, the killing of women, girls, and infants, is a pervasive problem affecting all global societies. Policy and research are impeded by inaccurate and missing prevalence data, gaps in understanding of femicide, especially for hard-to-reach marginalized populations, and conflicting perceptions between jurisdictions. Leveraging on a combined socio-ecologic model and Public Health approach, the paper spans the methods of a computed tomography-based injury study, an in-depth media-analysis, a legislation evaluation study, and a data barriers' study. Injury patterns, media depiction, and end-user consultations will close the loop on residual problems such as implementation, data gaps, and cultural perceptions. By mixed methods research representing multiple regions, and stakeholders, this project will enhance knowledge on interpersonal, institutional, and societal factors of femicide, advancing the humanitarian forensic discipline. The research method will identify emerging trends and facilitate improvements in tertiary prevention of femicide, specific to resource settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Positive identification of incinerated human remains can be a perplexing problem, especially when there is no genetic material remaining for DNA analysis. This paper illustrates the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to the identification of such remains, and explores the processes involved in the various effects of heat upon human bone and teeth, and the implications this has for positive identification. A case study is presented to illustrate the various problems encountered and the importance of discovering comprehensive ante-mortem records of the deceased. It is submitted that forensic odontologists and anthropologists be included in the body recovery process, both to maximise the recovery of evidence, and to ensure that all possible avenues for positive identification are explored, so as to avoid the need to rely upon the less robust method of circumstantial identification.