Unusual suicide by hanging: double ligature mark with a single-stranded rope

In 2020 a total of 1072 people committed suicide in Austria. The most frequently used method is hanging (42%). The main task of the forensic pathologist is to examine whether the crime scene investigations are in line with the autopsy results and to reconstruct the circumstances of the incident to prove if it was indeed a case of suicide. In the presented case of hanging a double ligature mark was determined around the neck, although a single-stranded rope had been used. The possible modes of action are discussed.