Using the legal system to protect victims of sexual abuse

More children are being recognized as victims of sexual abuse than in the past. Because pediatricians are often the first professionals to see the victim, they are often also the first to assess and to evaluate the child. Increased diagnoses of child sexual abuse may be the result either of an actual increase in the incidence of child sexual abuse or of heightened recognition. Whichever explanation or combination is correct, it is crucial that pediatricians be aware not only of the issue of child sexual abuse but also of the correct procedures in collecting data that may be used as evidence and in preparing to be a witness in a potential criminal prosecution of the alleged offender.

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Medical Evaluation of Sexually Abused Children: A Review of 311 Cases

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.69.1.8 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 8-14

Author(s):

Mary Ellen Rimsza ◽

Elaine H. Niggemann

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Physical Examination ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Sexually Abused ◽

Abused Children ◽

Medical Evaluation ◽

Time Period ◽

Victims Of Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexually Abused Children

The case records of 311 children and adolescents who were medically evaluated for sexual abuse are reviewed. Only 18% of these victims were assaulted by strangers; 131 of the assailants were relatives. Thirty percent of the victims reported multiple assaults over a time period of one week to nine years. Physical examination showed no abnormalities in only 23% of the patients. Twenty-one patients had gonorrhea and seven patients were pregnant. Guidelines for the medical evaluation of patients suspected to be victims of sexual abuse are discussed.

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L'incidente probatorio del minore parte offesa

MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL INFANZIA ◽

10.3280/mal2009-002010 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 125-132

Author(s):

Daniela Diano

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Key Words ◽

Protection Measures ◽

The Real ◽

Victims Of Sexual Abuse ◽

The Moment ◽

International Conventions

- This study analyses 37 questionnaires administered to the same number of auxiliaries of the Judge for the preliminary investigations with reference to the probatory incident on alleged minor victims of sexual abuse. The research wants to examine the real care and protection measures of the alleged victims during the period of time that goes from revelation to judicial hearing and to the moment of the same hearing. Besides, it aims to verify to what extent hearing is a hardship for the child and the eventual correlations between that and some variables about the procedures for the collection of witness, the need of protection and the setting features. The results show, even within the judicial course, a low, late or failed activation of the assistance, protection and care already provided by national rules and international conventions.Key words: auxiliary, probatory procedure, protected hearing, interview.Parole chiave: ausiliario, incidente probatorio, audizione protetta, intervista.

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