Author:

• Welington Silva - Silva, Welington - Bahia School of Medicine and Public Health/Post-Graduation Program in Medicine and Health - <welssilva@yahoo.com.br>

Co-author(s):

• Filipe Moraes Ribeiro - Ribeiro, Filipe Moraes - Universidade Federal da Bahia - <filiperibeiro.med@gmail.com>
• Gabriel Kamei Guimarães - Guimarães, Gabriel Kamei - Universidade Federal da Bahia - <gk.guimaraes@hotmail.com>
• Matheus Sá Santos - Santos, Matheus Sá - Universidade Federal da Bahia - <matheus.caem@gmail.com>
• Victor Porfirio dos Santos Almeida - Almeida, Victor Porfirio dos Santos - Universidade Federal da Bahia - <vico.porfirio@gmail.com>
• Ubirajara Oliveira Barroso Junior - Barroso Junior, Ubirajara Oliveira - Bahia School of Medicine and Public Health/Post-Graduation Program in Medicine and Health - <ubarroso@uol.com.br>

Thematic Area:

Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to identify potential factors associated with child sexual abuse confirmation at forensic examinations. The forensic files of children under 12 years of age reporting sexual abuse at the Nina Rodrigues Institute of Forensic Medicine in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil between January 2008 and December 2009 were reviewed. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with finding evidence of sexual abuse in forensic examinations. The proportion of cases confirmed by the forensic physician based on material evidence was 10.4%. Adjusted analysis showed that the variables place of birth, type of abuse reported, family relationship between the child and the perpetrator, and the interval between the reported abuse and the forensic examination were not independently associated with finding forensic evidence of sexual abuse. A report of penetration was associated with a five-fold greater likelihood of confirmation, while the victim being 10–11 years of age (pre-adolescent) was associated with a two-fold of abuse confirmation than younger children. These findings should be taken into consideration when drawing up guidelines for the multidisciplinary evaluation of children suspected of being victims of sexual abuse and in deciding whether to refer the child for forensic examination.

Keywords:

child sexual abusepaedophiliarapesexual violence

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