Citation

Denis C, Paret C, Chariot P. Presse Med. (1983) 2018; 47(1): e1-e8.

Vernacular Title

Accueil en médecine légale des adolescents et adultes victimes de violences sexuelles ou de violences dans le couple n’ayant pas déposé plainte – étude observationnelle en Seine-Saint-Denis.

Affiliation

AP-HP, hôpital Jean-Verdier, service de médecine légale et de médecine sociale, avenue du 14 juillet, 93140 Bondy, France; Institut de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les enjeux sociaux (IRIS), UMR 8156-997, UFR SMBH, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, université Paris-13, 74, rue Marcel-Cachin, 93000 Bobigny, France. Electronic address: patrick.chariot@aphp.fr.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.lpm.2017.05.038

PMID

29373282

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: to identify characteristics of victims of sexual assault or domestic violence who consulted in a Department of Forensic Medicine without a formal complaint to the police.

METHODS: observational study (03/01/2014-08/31/2015) of individuals (age>15years) consulting in a Department of Forensic Medicine near Paris, France, after a sexual assault or domestic violence. Among the individuals who were examined in the department of Forensic Medicine, we compared the individuals who had not complained to the police to those who had complained to the police.

RESULTS: A hundred and nine individuals have consulted without a prior complaint to the police, including 73 persons after domestic violence (i.e. 4% of all persons examined with or without a complaint to the police) and 36 persons after a sexual assault (i.e. 8% of all persons examined). Regarding domestic violence, the proportion of persons presenting recent traumatic injuries was lower among those who did not complain to the police than among those who did (64% vs. 78%, P=0.008). Regarding sexual violence, the persons who did not complain to the police were more frequently uncertain about the assault (42% vs. 13%, P<0.001), reported more frequently a recent alcohol or drug intake (42% vs. 26%, P=0.039) and less frequently showed extragenital traumatic injuries than the persons who did complain to the police (22% vs. 43%, P=0.016).

CONCLUSION: the persons examined who had not complained to the police accounted for less than one in 20. The extension of the activity of a Department of Forensic Medicine to persons who do not want to be involved in a judicial process is not sufficient for the majority of victims to consult a forensic physician.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Language: fr