Document Detail


Implementation of medical examination and forensic analyses in the investigation of sexual assaults against adult women: a retrospective study of police files and medical journals.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20388586     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To describe the implementation of medical examination and forensic analysis in the police investigation of sexual assaults, and compare police-reported cases with and without medico-legal examination of the victim. METHODS: A retrospective study of all police-reported sexual assaults against women in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, January 1997-June 2003. Information from the police files was merged with information from the only specialized health care system in the region, the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC), St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim. RESULTS: Of the 185 police-reported cases identified, 101 (55%) involved women examined at the SACC. A medical report was requested in 83% of the latter, while forensic analyses of biological samples from the victim's body were performed in a mere 29%. In cases without examination at the SACC, there was more likely assault outside the city, over one week's delay between the assault and police-reporting, over one assault reported, and assault coded as attempted rape, while vaginal penetration was less likely. Adjusting for delay of reporting, geographical closeness to health care remained predictive of medical examination. Only 16% of the cases were prosecuted. CONCLUSION: The police requested a medical report in most cases where the victim had undergone examination, while a minority of collected biological samples was analyzed. Consequently, a vigilant and thorough documentation of mental state, physical injuries and history of assault should be emphasized.
Authors:
Lise Eilin Stene; Kari Ormstad; Berit Schei
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2010-04-11
Journal Detail:
Title:  Forensic science international     Volume:  199     ISSN:  1872-6283     ISO Abbreviation:  Forensic Sci. Int.     Publication Date:  2010 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-05-31     Completed Date:  2010-09-14     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7902034     Medline TA:  Forensic Sci Int     Country:  Ireland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  79-84     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
(c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Medisinsk teknisk forskningssenter, N-7489 Trondheim, Norway. lise.e.stene@ntnu.no
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Central Nervous System Depressants / blood
Crime Victims / statistics & numerical data*
Ethanol / blood
Female
Forensic Medicine
Forensic Toxicology
Humans
Male
Medical Records*
Middle Aged
Narcotics / blood,  urine
Norway
Physical Examination / statistics & numerical data*
Police*
Retrospective Studies
Semen
Sex Offenses / legislation & jurisprudence,  statistics & numerical data*
Specimen Handling
Substance Abuse Detection
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Central Nervous System Depressants; 0/Narcotics; 64-17-5/Ethanol

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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