Sexual assault in childhood and adolescence; a survey study

Children and especially adolescent females are sexually assaulted more frequent comparatively to adults according to many studies. The aim of the study was to describe demographic features of victim and assailant, sexual assault characteristics, the time between assault and the examination, to determine genital/non-genital injuries and place of assault in child and adolescent sexual assault victims to provide descriptive data on medico-legal findings and health care strategies among them. A prospective survey was carried out among sexually abused child and adolescent cases referred to Forensic Medicine Council Adana Group Administration in the period of January 2007 to December 2007. Of 141 cases, 78 cases that agreed to respond the questionnaire were taken in the scope of the study. Only eighteen (23%) of cases were examined within the first three days of abuse. Forty-two of cases expressed that they were not abused and had voluntary sexual activity. Most of perpetrators were friends of victims. The majority of cases were determined to be young female adults, aged between 16 to 18 years, which had a voluntary sexual activity. The legal issue in these cases was complaint of families of cases' to the public prosecutor. In this respect, in our country law should be more tolerant to voluntary sexual activity of close aged individuals.