Evaluation of physical and mental health of sexual assault cases applied to forensic medicine department

• Main Authors: Mustafa Korkmaz, Cem Uysal, Süleyman Sivri, İsmail Bozkurt, Kasım Bulut, Şeref Şimşek, Yaşar Tıraşçı, Kenan Haspolat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dicle University Medical School 2014-12-01
• Series: Dicle Medical Journal
• Subjects: Sexual assault; physical or mental health
• Online Access: http://www.diclemedj.org/upload/sayi/34/Dicle%20Med%20J-02221.pdf

Objective: In the present study, to assess the sexual assault victims considering sociodemographic and forensic psychiatry who were examined by our Board of Physical and Mental Health was aimed. Methods: The cases who were examined in Board of Physical and Mental Health in Forensic medicine Department of Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine were assessed retrospectively in terms of age, gender, marital status, education level, relation of the victim with the accused, presence of penetration and disruption of physical and mental health. Results: Among 258 cases, who referred to our board, 196 were female and 62 were male. The age range of the victims was 2 to 50 and average age was detected as 13.1 ± 5.9 years. It was determined that 227 (88%) cases were under 18 years and 31 cases (12%) were above 18 years. Vaginal and anal penetration was claimed in 48 and 61 cases, respectively; oral + anal penetration was claimed in 11 cases; both vaginal and oral penetration was claimed in two cases. Among 258 cases, 144 cases had no physical and mental disruption; 49 cases were diagnosed with mental and physical health disruption and 65 cases were followed by issuing a preliminary report. Conclusion: As a result of our study any significant relation is not found between impairment in psychological health and sex, marital status, educational level of the victim, age groups, the age difference between the victim and the defendant. Therefore, it is understood that either men or women, married or single, educated or uneducated people are affected emotionally as bad as from sexual assault. This supports the idea that, especially in cases that any findings cannot be obtained with genital and physical examination, psychological evaluation may be important.