Citation

Habek D, Habek J. Med. Leg. J. 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Medico-Legal Society, Publisher SAGE Publications)

DOI

10.1177/00258172231214767

PMID

38334717

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a public health and medico-legal problem in developed and developing countries. Prompted by rare presentations of cases from this issue that change the course and outcome of events, we present the completed criminal-medico-legislative procedure as a contribution to the dynamics of the investigative process from my own many years of forensic practice. Two preschool teachers of late reproductive age from a home for neglected children reported to the State Attorney's Office a former ward of the home, now an older minor, and an auxiliary employee of the same home, for having sexual relations with a two-year-old girl. But the state attorney also ordered an examination of the reported young man, so the reported case that the teachers "saw" penetrative intercourse was rejected by the expert and the state attorney as an action impossible without injuring the girl at that age. Further investigation proved the continuous sexual abuse by two teachers of the young man since he was 13 years old, i.e. for three years, which he did not report for fear that he would be kicked out of the home. He had sexual relations with each of them several times during those incriminated years. After his statement, other employees of the home were questioned as witnesses who confirmed the suspect boy's claims. He was then released from custody, and the teachers were dismissed from their jobs and accused of years of sexual abuse of minors and abuse of their position and authority as competent persons.

Language: en

Keywords

Child; forensic investigation; sexual abuse