ABSTRACT
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Police personnel and prosecutors who are tasked with the investigation and prosecution of suspected abuse within the context of law violations face a unique challenge when any form of abuse (including homicide) involves an element of factitious disorder (FD)/ factitious disorder by proxy (FDP). FDP methodology, complexity and offender skill within abuse patterns may quickly become an overwhelming identification task creating panic. This challenge is especially relevant to the law enforcement officer or prosecutor having the dubious responsibility of being the first to investigate or prosecute an abuse or homicide case in a particular geographic location-especially when the location is rural.
