MEDICO-LEGAL ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS' ALLEGATIONS AMONG ADOLESCENT AND ADULT FEMALES REFERRED TO MEDICOLEGAL DEPARTMENT OF MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AT ALEXANDRIA: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Sobh, Zahraa; El-Banna, Asmaa; Menessi, Heba M

doi:10.21608/ejfsat.2019.14868.1086

MEDICO-LEGAL ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS' ALLEGATIONS AMONG ADOLESCENT AND ADULT FEMALES REFERRED TO MEDICOLEGAL DEPARTMENT OF MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AT ALEXANDRIA: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University.

² Forensic Medicine and clinical toxicology department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

³ Head of Violence Against Women and Children Clinic in the medicolegal department of Ministry of Justice at Alexandria

10.21608/ejfsat.2019.14868.1086

Abstract

Background: Violence against women (VAW) is a universal crime cutting across cultural and religious barriers violating females' human rights. The aim of the study is to assess physical and sexual assaults allegations of adolescent and adult females
Subjects and Methods: A prospective study that included all females above the age of 12 years old who were referred to the Medicolegal Department of Ministry of Justice at Alexandria to assess their physical and sexual assaults allegations during a period of 6 months (from the 1st August 2018 till the end of January 2019).
Results: A total of 92 females alleged violence (60 sexual and 32 physical assault) were encountered in the study. Nearly three quarters (71.7%) of the females with sexual assault allegations were adolescents, whereas more than three quarters (78.1%) of those with claims of physical abuse were adults. About half (45%) of sexual allegations were attributed to friends, whereas, in physical violence, more than two-thirds (68.7%) of the cases were intrafamilial.
A half of physical violence claims were simple wounds and the other half were serious injuries in the form of traumatic abortion, infirmities, Stab, and firearm injuries. Considering sexual allegations, rape represented more than half (56.7%) of sexual assault claims, followed by sodomy (20%), mixed rape and sodomy (11.7%), intercrural intercourse (4%), and attempt of rape (3%).
Regarding medico-legal finding; Clear evidence of assault was elucidated in 50% and 35.8%of physical and sexual allegations respectively; while no evidence of alleged assault could be detected in 25% and 40.2% of physical and sexual claims respectively. No firm evidence with the possible occurrence of the alleged assault was the condition in 25% and 23.8%of physical and sexual allegations respectively.
Conclusion: Evaluation of physical abuse yield more solid medicolegal opinion in most of the cases. On the contrast, the nature of genital and anal injuries was much more confusing that prone lot of uncertainties. Therefore, rapid medicolegal assessment of the victims of sexual crimes along with the cautious interpretation of findings is advisable.

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