Citation

Castagna P, Ricciardelli R, Piazza F, Mattutino G, Pattarino B, Canavese A, Gino S. Int. J. Legal Med. 2018; 132(4): 1197-1204.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Criminalistic Sciences "Carlo Torre", Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, corso Galileo Galilei 22, 10126, Turin, Italy. sarah.gino@unito.it.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00414-017-1769-1

PMID

29308532

Abstract

The phenomenon of migration is often related to violence and exploitation. Data collection in conflict-affected countries is hard and complicated by the lack of literature, especially on the health of migrant female victims of violence. The aim of our study has been to realise a clinical and forensic evaluation on African female migrant's global health through their admissions to the Rape Centre "Soccorso Violenza Sessuale" at Sant'Anna Hospital in Turin. In our sample, we considered several aspects such as place where the violence occurred, number and the identity of the perpetrators, use of physical restraint instruments and/or substances, kidnapping, prostitution under duress, abuses, pregnancies and outcomes, injuries and complained symptoms, female genital mutilation, and sexually transmitted diseases. The sample consisted of 143 women, of which 136 were victims of violence. In 72.8% of the episodes, the perpetrator of violence was an unknown subject. Of the women, 58.8% reported being abused in Libya, 92.6% were victims of sexual violence, and 30.2% became pregnant after sexual abuse. The physical examination of the sample showed that 34.6% of women had at least a scar and that 12.5% reported a female genital mutilation. This is the first database on health of African female migrants in Turin area collecting data on migration, violence, and physical and psychological effects of abuse.

Language: en

Keywords

Clinical evaluation; Forensic evaluation; Global health; Migrant women; Non-partner violence; Partner violence