Impact of poor evidence management on DNA profiling in sexual assault and homicide: A case report

2021 ◽  
pp. 002581722096648
Author(s):  
Naresh Kumar ◽  
Pooja Puri ◽  
SK Shukla ◽  
Deepa Verma
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Dna Profiling ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Criminal Cases ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Vaginal Swabs ◽  
Biological Evidence

Increasing numbers of female victims of violent sexual assaults are being murdered with the aim of concealing the identity of the perpetrator. Proper handling and analysis of evidence is very important in gaining a conviction in many criminal cases. After evidence is collected, due precautions must be taken to ensure that the integrity of the sample is maintained, and chances of contamination are minimised. This paper presents a case study where improper handling of biological evidence led to loss of evidentiary value, and the semen could not be located on the vaginal swabs and victim’s garments due to improper preservation of samples. However, the DNA from the nail of a decomposed finger helped identify the victim, and the suspect was apprehended based on the clues given by her family.

Management of DNA evidence collected on adolescents in sexual assault investigations: A 10-year review from a large Italian rape centre

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Piccinini ◽  
Giulia Vignali ◽  
Paolo Bailo ◽  
Giussy Barbara ◽  
Giuseppe Gennari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Female Adolescent ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Dna Evidence ◽  
Dna Analyses ◽  
Chain Of Custody ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
Biological Evidence ◽  
Assault Victims

Little research is available on the actual forensic use of genetic analyses performed in sexual violence cases, despite their relevant role in legal processes. The present retrospective study aimed to contribute to filling this gap in research, evaluating the actual number of serological/DNA analyses that followed medical examination of female adolescent victims of sexual violence. The study was performed in a large rape centre in Milan (North Italy) by analysing all medical records of female victims of sexual violence aged 13–19 years in the period from January 2006 to December 2015. The total number of sexual assault victims examined aged 13–19 years was 599. In 473 of the cases, biological evidence had been collected. The gathering of biological evidence was accurately performed (double swab technique) in multiple anatomical regions on the victims’ bodies, and clothes were acquired when biological stains were present or could be present. Proper handling under chain of custody for all the items collected followed in every case. Despite all of this, serological/DNA analyses were requested in only 9/473 (1.9%) cases. Procedural issues possibly affecting the magistrates’ decisions not to use DNA extensively as an investigative tool are also discussed.

Traumatic recto-vaginal fistula in two patients with congenital vaginal septum: a case report

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Weston Khisa ◽  
Winnie Mwebia ◽  
Alice Muli ◽  
Linda Nasengo
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Pelvic Examination ◽  
Vaginal Fistula ◽  
Rare Form ◽  
Vaginal Septum ◽  
Primary Amenorrhoea ◽  
Transverse Vaginal Septum

Congenital vaginal septum is a rare form of genital tract anomaly. It presents with dyspareunia, dysmenorrhoea or primary amenorrhoea associated with hematometra and hematocolpos. Others may be asymptomatic, with the anomaly being found during routine pelvic examination. This case study presents two patients with congenital vaginal septae, who developed traumatic recto-vaginal fistulae. The first patient had two incomplete longitudinal vaginal septae, incidentally discovered during repair of a recto-vaginal fistula that had developed following sexual assault. The second patient developed a recto-vaginal fistula following repair of a transverse vaginal septum.

What victims tell us about their sexual assault offenders: age, sex, victim-offender relationships, and type of threats (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali AL-Asadi
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Physical Force ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Female Perpetrators ◽  
Assault Victims ◽  
Sexually Offended ◽  
Male To Female

BACKGROUND Sexual assault perpetrated mostly by males against mostly females is a serious crime that seems to remain relatively stable when other crimes have significantly declined. Many factors are involved in sexual assaults. Undertaking these factors and their relationships with one another is essential to designing and providing more efficient and empirically-based preventative and intervention programs. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze what victims of one sexual assault who sought therapy tell us about their sex, age at which they were assaulted, the sex and age of the perpetrator, the relationship with the perpetrator, and the type of threats used to gain their compliance. METHODS Therapists at eight sexual assault centers around the province of Alberta, Canada, completed a questionnaire on each of their clients over seven years. A total of 1525 participants, of which 1417 (92.92%) were female, and 108 (7.08%) were male victims of one sexual assault, were included in this study. Descriptive analyses were carried out on the six variables of concern in this study. RESULTS Female victims sought therapy by a ratio of 13:1 relative to male victims of one sexual assault. Victims seeking therapy reported that they were sexually assaulted by 1492 male and 33 female perpetrators, a 45:1 male to female ratio. Most female perpetrators (42.2%) were aged 30 years and older, followed by 39.4% aged 1-17 years. Most male perpetrators (46.2%) were aged 18-29 years, followed by 30.6% aged 30 and older. Perpetrators sexually offended mostly against their aged counterpart victims except for those aged 30 and older, who were involved in more cases of one sexual assault against a person in every age group. Over 90% of assaults were committed by a person known to the victim—acquaintances, friends, and dates comprised over 50%, and strangers 12.9% of cases. At 51.5%, physical force was the most common type of threat used by all perpetrators, followed by drugs and alcohol (13.2%), bribes and promises (11.5%), using weapons or threats of a weapon (9.2%). CONCLUSIONS Female victims of sexual assault seek help more readily than males. The majority of victims of sexual assault are females, whereas the overwhelming majority of perpetrators are males. In addition, perpetrators of sexual assaults are mostly known to the victims and have some relationship. Finally, physical force is the threat used most often to gain victims' compliance.

Real men can't get raped: an examination of gendered rape myths and sexual assault among undergraduates

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina L. Reitz-Krueger ◽  
Sadie J. Mummert ◽  
Sara M. Troupe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Relative Neglect ◽  
Male Rape Myths

Purpose While awareness of sexual assaults on college campuses has increased, the majority of efforts to address it are focused on female victims. The relative neglect of male victims may be due in part to problematic rape myths that suggest men cannot be sexually assaulted, especially by women. The purpose of this paper is to compare rates of different types of sexual assault between male and female undergraduates, and explore the relationship between acceptance of traditional rape myths focused on female victims, and rape myths surrounding male victims. Design/methodology/approach Students at a mid-sized university in Pennsylvania (n=526) answered an online questionnaire about their own experiences of sexual assault since coming to college, as well as their endorsement of male and female rape myths. Findings While women experienced more sexual assault overall, men were just as likely to have experienced rape (i.e. forced penetration) or attempted rape. Acceptance of male and female rape myths was significantly correlated and men were more likely than women to endorse both. Participants were also more likely to endorse female than male rape myths. Research limitations/implications By analyzing sexual assaults in terms of distinct behaviors instead of one composite score, the authors can get a more nuanced picture of how men and women experience assault. Practical implications Campus-based efforts to address sexual assault need to be aware that male students also experience assault and that myths surrounding men as victims may impede their ability to access services. Originality/value This paper contributes to our knowledge of a relatively understudied topic: undergraduate male victims of sexual assault.

scholarly journals Differential organic DNA extraction of semen sample contaminated with blood for the identification of a serial sexual offender: A case report

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Puri ◽  
Naresh Kumar ◽  
Dhruv Sharma ◽  
SK Shukla
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Dna Extraction ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Semen Sample ◽  
Absolute Differential ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Positive Identification

In many cases of sexual assault, traces of semen are left behind on the victim’s body, clothes and the area in which the assault has taken place. The positive identification of semen is instrumental in supporting such cases. There are several methods of forensic examination of semen reported in literature, but the presence of blood complicates the identification of semen stains. This paper presents one such case study where the presence of blood makes DNA profiling more challenging as the PCR amplification becomes complicated, and the absolute differential isolation is the only way to get the clear profile using identifiler kits.

scholarly journals Medico-Legal Findings in Victims and Accused of Sexual Assault

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 12-17
Author(s):  
Raj Kumar Karki ◽  
Pankaj Kumar Singh ◽  
Abdul Sami Khan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Pattern Of Injury ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Genital Injury

Background: Sexual assault is one of the heinous and barbarous crimes and continues to plague our nation. It is present in every countries cutting across boundaries of culture, race, gender, relationship, social standing and the extremes of ages. The current study aims to analyze the incidence of sexual assault cases, their socio-demographic parameters, incidence to reporting time and relationship of the assailant with the victim and pattern of injury for evaluation of sexual assault. Materials and Methods: The medico-legal reports of 102 sexual assaults cases were retrieved and analyzed retrospectively which was examined by Department of Forensic Medicine from October 2019 to September 2020 at Dhulikhel hospital.  All the data were entered in SPSS version 25 and results were ascertained. Results: Out of 102 samples, 52 female victims and 48 accused were analyzed. Two were male victims of sodomy. The mean age was 20.54±10.78 and 27.67±11.08 for victim and accused respectively, the most vulnerable being unmarried teenagers. Most of the accused and victims were familiar with each other (81.25%) and the common incident locale was victim’s own house. Genital injury was seen in 53.85% and general injury in 32.7% of the victims. Only 13.46 % victims and 12.50% of accused were brought for examination on the same day. Genital injury had significant association with age (p=0.003) and day of examination (p=0.029). Four of the victims were positive for pregnancy test. Conclusion: Hence this study aims to highlight that sexual assault is a catastrophe and there is a dire need of educating the vulnerable groups.

Misophonia: An Evidence-Based Case Report

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-690
Author(s):  
C. S. Vanaja ◽  
Miriam Soni Abigail
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Case History ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Management Option ◽  
Pure Tone Audiogram

Purpose Misophonia is a sound tolerance disorder condition in certain sounds that trigger intense emotional or physiological responses. While some persons may experience misophonia, a few patients suffer from misophonia. However, there is a dearth of literature on audiological assessment and management of persons with misophonia. The purpose of this report is to discuss the assessment of misophonia and highlight the management option that helped a patient with misophonia. Method A case study of a 26-year-old woman with the complaint of decreased tolerance to specific sounds affecting quality of life is reported. Audiological assessment differentiated misophonia from hyperacusis. Management included retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy based on the principles described by P. J. Jastreboff and Jastreboff (2014). A misophonia questionnaire was administered at regular intervals to monitor the effectiveness of therapy. Results A detailed case history and audiological evaluations including pure-tone audiogram and Johnson Hyperacusis Index revealed the presence of misophonia. The patient benefitted from intervention, and the scores of the misophonia questionnaire indicated a decrease in the severity of the problem. Conclusions It is important to differentially diagnose misophonia and hyperacusis in persons with sound tolerance disorders. Retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy can help patients who suffer from misophonia.

AAC Collaboration Using the Self-Anchored Rating Scales (SARS): An Aphasia Case Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 136-143
Author(s):  
Lynn E. Fox
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Family Counseling ◽  
The Self ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Solution Focused

Abstract The self-anchored rating scale (SARS) is a technique that augments collaboration between Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) interventionists, their clients, and their clients' support networks. SARS is a technique used in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, a branch of systemic family counseling. It has been applied to treating speech and language disorders across the life span, and recent case studies show it has promise for promoting adoption and long-term use of high and low tech AAC. I will describe 2 key principles of solution-focused therapy and present 7 steps in the SARS process that illustrate how clinicians can use the SARS to involve a person with aphasia and his or her family in all aspects of the therapeutic process. I will use a case study to illustrate the SARS process and present outcomes for one individual living with aphasia.

Intensive Stuttering Therapy With Telepractice Follow-up: A Case Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzan Irani ◽  
Rodney Gabel
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Therapeutic Intervention ◽  
Intensive Therapy ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Eclectic Approach

This case report describes the positive outcome of a therapeutic intervention that integrated an intensive, residential component with follow-up telepractice for a 21 year old male who stutters. This therapy utilized an eclectic approach to intensive therapy in conjunction with a 12-month follow-up via video telepractice. The results indicated that the client benefited from the program as demonstrated by a reduction in percent stuttered syllables, a reduction in stuttering severity, and a change in attitudes and feelings related to stuttering and speaking.

Assessment 360°: A Panoramic Framework for Assessing English Language Learners

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Lewis ◽  
Nancy Castilleja ◽  
Barbara J. Moore ◽  
Barbara Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
Many Sources

This issue describes the Assessment 360° process, which takes a panoramic approach to the language assessment process with school-age English Language Learners (ELLs). The Assessment 360° process guides clinicians to obtain information from many sources when gathering information about the child and his or her family. To illustrate the process, a bilingual fourth grade student whose native language (L1) is Spanish and who has been referred for a comprehensive language evaluation is presented. This case study features the assessment issues typically encountered by speech-language pathologists and introduces assessment through a panoramic lens. Recommendations specific to the case study are presented along with clinical implications for assessment practices with culturally and linguistically diverse student populations.

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