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Ned Kelly tattoos – Origins and forensic implications

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Abstract

Tattoos depicting Ned Kelly, a 19th-century Australian bushranger (outlaw) are occasionally encountered in the contemporary Australian population at forensic autopsy. To determine the characteristics of decedents with such tattoos, twenty cases were identified in the autopsy files at Forensic Science SA. All of the decedents were white males (100%) with an age range of 20–67yrs (average 37yrs). Seventeen of the deaths (85%) were unnatural, due to suicide in eight cases (40%), accidents in seven cases (35%) and homicide in two cases (10%). Compared to the general autopsy population suicides and homicides were 2.7 and 7.7 times higher, respectively, than would be expected, with a striking male predominance. A Ned Kelly tattoo identified at autopsy in another country or in a disaster victim identification situation may suggest that the decedent was Australian or had a connection with that country. Although the population studied is highly selected, individuals with these tattoos had an above average incidence of traumatic deaths.

Introduction

The word tattoo refers to marking of the skin with indelible words, patterns or pictures by puncturing the skin and inserting pigments. Tattoos have been found in most communities and cultural groups for thousands of years and have been used for a variety of purposes ranging from the identification of higher classes, to the marking of prisoners.1 In certain criminal groups such as the Yakuza in Japan, and inmates of Russian and Soviet prisons tattooing may be extremely elaborate and record the history of the wearer.2

Tattoos may be useful forensically to assist with identification and to provide some indication of the possible history of a decedent. For example, syringes, and marihuana leaves may suggest drug usage, whereas military tattoos are most often found in war veterans and may give a guide to the age of the deceased based on the type of tattoo and the event recorded. Primitive line tattoos with antisocial and anti-police messages may indicate previous imprisonment.1, 2

Certain tattoos are specific to particular cultural groups or countries. In Australia a tattoo that may be encountered at forensic autopsy is one depicting a nineteenth century bushranger (outlaw), Ned Kelly. The characteristic body armor that he was wearing at the time of his capture by colonial police and/or his alleged last words on judicial hanging (“such is life”) are often found incorporated into these designs. Given that this tattoo is most likely to be found only in an Australian cultural context the following study was undertaken to determine the characteristics of decedents with this design and to analyze causes and manner of death.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Twenty cases were identified in the autopsy files at Forensic Science SA (FSSA) where a design depicting either Ned Kelly or the words “such is life” had been recorded. All cases had undergone full autopsies with police and coronial investigations. The age, sex and race were noted along with the circumstances, cause and manner of death. Forensic Science SA is the state forensic facility where medicolegal autopsies are performed. The population served is approximately 1.6 million.

Results

All of the decedents were white males (100%) with an age range of 20–67 years (average 37 years). Deaths were due to natural diseases in only three cases (15%) consisting of pneumonia, myocardial infarction and a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The remaining 17 deaths (85%) were due to suicide in eight cases (40%), accidents in seven cases (35%) and homicide in two cases (10%). Suicides were the result of hanging (N = 3), drug toxicity/poisoning (N = 2), carbon monoxide toxicity (N = 1), ligature

Discussion

Ned Kelly was an Irish-Australian bushranger (outlaw) who was born in rural Victoria in 1854. His career was marked by conflict with the colonial police culminating in the infamous gun fight at Stringybark Creek in 1878 where three serving police officers were shot and killed.3 Following this incident the Kelly Gang, as his group was then known, committed bank robberies at Jerilderie and Euroa. The government response to the police shootings was to outlaw the gang and authorize shooting of the

Ethical approval

None.

Funding

None.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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    A more important factor that is associated with an unnatural manner of death appears to be the type of tattoo, rather than the extent of marking. For example, in a medicolegal context in a group of 20 individuals with Ned Kelly tattoos, 17 (85%) had unnatural deaths, in a group of 19 deaths of individuals cases with tattoos containing obscene words 15 (79%) were unnatural, and in a group with swastika tattoos 22/26 (85%) of the deaths were also unnatural.18–20 This is perhaps not surprising as certain tattoos that contain profane or antisocial messages may be more likely to be found in groups that engage in high-risk behaviours.

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    Of note, no fine line art works were identified in expletive texts in the current study. It is likely, therefore, that parents or family members with commemorative tattoos18 have different motivations to individuals who have politically-oriented or racist tattoos with Ned Kelly, swastikas or white power motifs.19 A similar phenomenon has been demonstrated in analyses of deaths due to suicide when particular characteristics and trends in specific subgroups may be lost or obscured if the information that is relied upon derives from accrued data.20

  • Cause, manner and age of death in a series of decedents with tattoos presenting for medicolegal autopsy

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    Another study in the US found that 76% of individuals with multiple tattoos had been in jail for three days or more.20 In looking purely at forensic autopsy populations in Australia it has been shown that the risk of suicide and homicide is higher in individuals with tattoos depicting the 19th century Australian outlaw (“bushranger”) Ned Kelly.21 A study of a New Mexican, US, autopsy population found that homicide victims were 1.3 times more likely to have a tattoo than accident victims.8

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    This may be of practical significance if many bodies are being examined over a short period of time, such as during major disaster victim identification and management activities. Tattoos amongst Russian prisoners may provide a chronicle of their life history, and an example of a tattoo that suggests an association with Australia is one which depicts a local folk hero, Ned Kelly, with his alleged last words of “such is life”.3 Anniversary reactions refer to physical and psychiatric disorders that are precipitated by the anniversary of the death of a significant person.

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