A picture posted on celebrity website TMZ.com shows Rihanna’s injuries after the incident in which Chris Brown is said to have punched her, strangled her, and left her unconscious in a car before fleeing the scene.

Unfortunately, it appears that previous details about this story are true as her eyes look black and blue, and her lips are puffy with cuts and blood. There are also two contusions across both sides of her forehead.

In case there is any doubt regarding the picture’s authenticity, the LAPD has issued a statement saying that take internal leaks of evidence very seriously and are looking for help finding the person responsible for giving the photo to the press. Victims of domestic abuse are accorded special rights in the criminal justice system such as having details about their identity unreleased to the public.

“The photograph has the appearance of one taken during an official Domestic Violence investigation. The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence,” the LAPD said in a statement Thursday.

“The Department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint. A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination,” the statement concludes.

The release of the photo, which is plastered all over news websites and celebrity blogs, triggered a strong reaction from the fans, as well as critics who claim the picture humiliates Rihanna at a time when she's already in emotional agony, that it pierces a zone of emotional and physical privacy already grossly violated in the apparent attack on her.