Forensic Aspects of Adult Sexual

Violence Cases

Speaker - Dr . Somnath Das

Associate Professor
R. G. Kar Medical College
Kolkata
Forensic Pathology Service

 Department of Health
 Provides forensic pathology and clinical
forensic medicine services to government
departments
Forensic Pathology Service

Scope of Service

 Operate public mortuaries

 Attend scenes of crimes
 Clinical medico-legal examinations
 Consultation
 Court proceedings
Forensic Pathology Service

Staff

 Medical Staff

 Assistants to Forensic Pathologists

Forensic Pathology Service

Facilities

 Public Mortuaries
 Histopathology Laboratories
Examination-Room
Office
Office
Office
Sexual Offence

 Rape
 Adultery
 Incest
Definition of Sexual Assault

Sexual assault includes:

 Penile/vaginal intercourse
 Contact between the genitals and mouth
 Contact between an anus and a penis
 Penetration of the vagina or anus with a
foreign object, including a finger

Sexual Assault Risk Reduction

Slide 11 Curriculum 2001
Non-Physical Violence

 The threat of violence

 Threatening to tell that they had sex if they
don’t
 Threatening to hurt self if they don’t have sex

Sexual Assault Risk Reduction

Slide 12 Curriculum 2001
Victim & Suspect Gender
Factors
VICTIM SUSPECT

.1%
95% Female
Female
99.9%
5% Male Male

Sexual Assault Risk Reduction

Slide 13 Curriculum 2001
 Non-stranger Assault – Age
Factor
VICTIM SUSPECT

66+ 2 Age unknown 37

6 66+ 2
46-50 8 9
18 46-50 10
14
Age

Age
36-40 23
36-40 39
21 41
26-30 26 26-30 66
105 176
14-18 209 14-18 77

0 100 200 300 0 100 200

Sexual Assault Risk Reduction

Slide 14 Curriculum 2001
Who is a Non-Stranger?

 Boyfriend
 Co-worker/classmate
 Long time friend
 Relative
 Someone from the neighborhood
 Someone you just met

Sexual Assault Risk Reduction

Slide 15 Curriculum 2001
Forensic Examination of
Victims of Sexual Violence
 Evidence (physical / laboratory)
– Sexual intercourse
 injury to private parts
 presence of semen
– Non-consensual
 pattern of injuries
 toxicological examination
Forensic Examination of
Victims of Sexual Violence
 Medical treatment must take priority

SAFETY OF VICTIM COMES FIRST!!

Examination Suite

 Accessibility
 Security (restricted, lock)
 Cleanliness / Comfortableness (warm)
 Privacy (view & sound, entry & exit)
 Enough space
Examination Suite

 Waiting area
 Examination area
 Equipment (couch, lighting, magnifying glass,
swabs, specimen containers, water)
 Toilet
Forensic Examination of Adult
Rape Victims

 Consent
 History
 Physical Examination
– general examination
– genito-anal examination
 Sample collection
 Documentation and reporting
Consent

 Informed
 Voluntary
 Capacity
– guardian
– invoke Part IVC
– guardianship board
History

 What signs to look for

 What samples to take
 How to interpret findings
History

 Routine background
 Medical
 Gynaecological
 Sexual
 What happened
– “…The victim should not be asked to describe the
assault repeatedly …”
Physical Examination

 General examination
 Genito-anal examination
General Examination
General Examination

 General appearance
 Upper arms, forearms and hands
 Face, ears, lips
 Scalp
 Neck
 Breasts
 Abdomen
 Thighs and Legs
 Hips and Buttocks
Non genito-anal injuries

 Bruises and contusions (e.g. inner aspect of

thighs, scalp, face, lips);
 Lacerations (e.g. scalp, forearm);
 Ligature marks (e.g. ankles, wrists and
neck);
 Pattern injuries (i.e. fingertip marks, scratch
marks, bite marks, factitious self-inflicted
injuries)
Defensive Injuries
Road Surface Injuries
Lip Bruising
Fingertip Bruising
Genito-anal Examination

 Inspection, labial traction

 Swabs
 Speculum
 Anal +/- digital +/- proctoscope
Genito-anal Examination
Forensic Specimens

 Vulval / vaginal / endocervical swabs

 Buccal swabs – for DNA profiling Other
swabs (e.g. anal, oral, breasts)
 Fingernail (clipping / scraping)
 Pubic hair
 Clothing / debris
 +/- Toxicological samples (blood, urine)
Forensic Specimens

 Vulval / vaginal / endocervical swabs

 Buccal swabs – for DNA profiling Other
swabs (e.g. anal, oral, breasts)
 Fingernail (clipping / scraping)
 Pubic hair
 Clothing / debris
 +/- Toxicological samples (blood, urine)
Opinion of A Forensic Expert (provisional)
Final Opinion of A Forensic Expert
Forensic Evidence & FP’s role

 Factual evidence v Expert evidence

 Impartial, for court and justice, not for either
side
 Non-judgmental (we are not jurors)
 Objective, disinterested, independent,
uninfluenced
 Opinion: scientific method applied on
available data
 Limited to field of expertise
Thank You