ABSTRACT Introduction: Violence involving bladed weapons is a major public health and judicial security problem worldwide. It causes significant morbidity. Forensic medicine plays a central role in identifying and describing injuries, assessing their severity, estimating temporary personal incapacity (TPI) and providing a medico-legal assessment of the facts. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological, clinical and medico-legal characteristics of knife attacks and to highlight the decisive role of forensic medicine in the management and legal referral of such violence. Patients and methods: This is a prospective, descriptive and analytical study conducted from June to December in the forensic medicine department of the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech. Among 2,383 victims of physical violence examined, 587 cases of knife attacks (24.63%) were included according to predefined criteria. Sociodemographic, injury, circumstantial and medico-legal data were collected using a standardised questionnaire and analysed descriptively. Results: At the initial examination, the average age of the victims was 35.4 years, with a predominance of subjects under 40 years of age (74%). Men accounted for 84% of cases (sex ratio M/F = 5.1) and 67% of victims were from urban areas. The assaults mainly occurred in public places (49%), in an interpersonal context (71%), most often without any apparent motive (73%). The injuries were mainly to the upper limbs (68%) and the head (48%). Sutures were required in 84% of cases and 6% required a short hospital stay. A risk of permanent disability was identified in 2% of cases. From a medico-legal perspective, the majority of victims had a temporary incapacity for work or personal incapacity lasting more than 20 days. Conclusion: Assaults with knives represent a major medico-legal issue, requiring rigorous assessment of injuries and temporary personal incapacity (TPI) for appropriate criminal classification. Keywords: assault; knife; violence; trauma; temporary personal incapacity; forensic medicine

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