Child victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse: A retrospective study at the Forensic Unit

Background

Reports of sexual abuse of minors are increasing, highlighting the important public health problem of child maltreatment with its long-lasting medical, forensic, emotional and social repercussions. The aim of this work was to document epidemiological data on children who were victims or suspected victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse and who were referred to a forensic unit, in order to help prevent abuse and to improve our practice in detection, diagnosis and medical, forensic, psychological and social management.

Method

This was a historical observational descriptive and analytical study carried out in the Forensic Unit of La Timone, part of the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, France, over a 2-year period.

Results

One hundred and ninety perineal examinations were performed on young children (average age 9 years), 67 % of whom were more than a month old. Lesions were described in only 30 children (all girls), all of them old. Twenty-one children received psychological or psychiatric follow-up.

Conclusion

This study leads us to call into question our practice for overall management of child victims of sexual abuse and for forensic expert reports, with disappearance of lesions and low information yield from samples taken for genetic identification. There is a need for multidisciplinary management of these children and for specific training in obtaining their testimony. The paediatric units for children in danger (UAPED) can provide unity of time and place with multidisciplinary management.