Search

One in four US women will experience a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, and more than 50% of survivors will experience two or more rapes. Rape and physical violence also co-occur. Multiple experiences of sexual and physical violence are associated with elevated mental and physical health problems. This secondary analysis examined the prevalence and correlates of experiencing sexual or physical violence within 6 months of a sexual assault medical forensic exam (SAMFE). Between May 2009 and December 2013, 233 female rape survivors aged 15 and older were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial during a SAMFE in the emergency department (ED). Demographics, rape characteristics, distress at the ED, and pre-rape history of sexual or physical victimization were assessed. New sexual and physical victimization was assessed 6 months after the SAMFE via telephone interview. Six months after the exam, 21.7% reported a new sexual or physical victimization. Predictors of revictimization during follow-up included sexual or physical victimization prior to the index rape, making less than $10,000 annually, remembering the rape well, life threat during the rape, and higher distress at the ED. In adjusted models, only pre-rape victimization and making less than $10,000 annually were associated with revictimization. Factors assessed at the ED can inform subsequent victimization risk. More research is needed to prevent revictimization among recent rape victims. Policies to provide financial support to recent rape victims and/or targeted prevention for those with pre-rape victimization at the SAMFE could reduce revictimization risk. Trial registration: NCT01430624 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior are common after experiencing a sexual assault. Therefore, it is imperative to assess for and manage suicidal ideation using evidence-based techniques after a sexual assault medical forensic examination (SAMFE). We assessed factors associated with higher suicidal ideation identified in a post-SAMFE mental health screening conducted over the phone and strategies to manage suicide risk. We also discuss three case examples and unique considerations when assessing post-SAMFE suicide risk. It was found that among individuals who completed a post-SAMFE screen, individuals who have been previously hospitalized for a mental health problem, who had higher acute stress symptoms, and who were homeless reported more suicidal ideation than those without those histories or symptom presentations. No matter the risk factors for suicidal ideation post-SAMFE, it is essential to screen all individuals post-SAMFE due to their high risk for suicidal ideation and death by suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV) are common in the USA, and they often co-occur. Individuals with multiple victimization experiences have more severe mental health outcomes compared to those with one victimization. The current study examined mental health symptoms and their association with IPV victimization history among a sample of individuals who experienced a recent sexual assault and received a sexual assault medical forensic examination. A total of 82 participants (92.70% female) completed a post-sexual assault survey as part of clinical care to coordinate follow-up services. IPV history and prior sexual assault were assessed as well as mental health symptoms including acute stress and depressive symptoms. It was found that individuals with an IPV history reported more acute stress and depressive symptoms compared to those without an IPV history. No differences were found based on prior sexual assault history. These findings highlight the importance of screening for IPV history during the sexual assault medical forensic examination to coordinate care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the existence of patterns able to discriminate between consensual and non-consensual intercourse, the relevance of genital lesions in the corroboration of a legal rape complaint is currently under debate in many countries. The testimony of the physicians when assessing these lesions has been questioned in court due to several factors (e.g., a lack of comprehensive knowledge of lesions, wide spectrum of background area, among others). Therefore, it is relevant to provide automated tools to support the decision process in an objective manner. In this work, we evaluate the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning architectures for the forensic assessment of sexual assault. We propose a deep architecture and learning strategy to tackle the class imbalance on deep learning using ranking. The proposed methodologies achieved the best results when compared with handcrafted feature engineering and with other deep architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differentiation of blood and menstrual fluid is especially important in cases of alleged sexual assault. While the identification of blood is relatively straightforward, the identification of menstrual fluid in trace evidence has been shown to be more challenging. This may be due to the complex nature of menstrual fluid that leads to intra- and inter-individual differences in composition. Nevertheless, recent advances in DNA methylation profiling have revealed promising markers for the differentiation of the two body fluids and furthermore, markers to distinguish menstrual fluid from vaginal fluid. A literature study was performed and in total, 11 markers were evaluated in this study of which seven could be validated for menstrual fluid and blood identification purposes. Marker “BLU2” (chr16:29757334) was identified as most suitable for differentiation of blood and menstrual fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of human semen is indispensable for the investigation of sexual assaults. Fluorescence staining methods using commercial kits, such as the series of SPERM HY-LITER™ kits, have been useful to detect human sperm via strong fluorescence. These kits have been examined from various forensic aspects. However, because of a lack of evaluation methods, these studies did not provide objective, or quantitative, descriptions of the results nor clear criteria for the decisions reached. In addition, the variety of validations was considerably limited. In this study, we conducted more advanced validations of SPERM HY-LITER™ Express using our established image analysis method. Use of this method enabled objective and specific identification of fluorescent sperm's spots and quantitative comparisons of the sperm detection performance under complex experimental conditions. For body fluid mixtures, we examined interference with the fluorescence staining from other body fluid components. Effects of sample decomposition were simulated in high humidity and high temperature conditions. Semen with quite low sperm concentrations, such as azoospermia and oligospermia samples, represented the most challenging cases in application of the kit. Finally, the tolerance of the kit against various acidic and basic environments was analyzed. The validations herein provide useful information for the practical applications of the SPERM HY-LITER™ Express kit, which were previously unobtainable. Moreover, the versatility of our image analysis method toward various complex cases was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After sexual assault there is a limited amount of time before the DNA evidence on the surface of the victim's body is not recoverable. During an assault, the offender may leave saliva on the victim's skin. Traditional examination methods use a swabbing technique to collect saliva for DNA testing. Victim activity, especially hygiene activity such as showering, may negatively affect DNA recovery. Methods: In this experiment, we compared two techniques for recovery of salivary DNA from the skin's surface after a victim showers. We compared the traditional swabbing method to a 'wet-vacuum' method using the M-Vac© to collect saliva from four body regions (neck, arm, stomach, and leg). In our research, we tested whether either collection technique obtained enough salivary DNA for autosomal and Y-STR analysis. In addition, we tested whether the M-Vac© is more effective at collecting DNA from large surface areas than traditional methods, by determining the amount of DNA collected. Results: With both collection techniques, we were able to obtain male salivary DNA from at least one body region of the female after she had showered. There was no statistical difference in the amount of DNA collected between the swabbing technique and the M-Vac©. Autosomal STR analysis failed to detect the male contributor's DNA; therefore, we used Y-STRs. With Y-STR analysis, 47 samples returned a full male profile, and 26 samples returned a partial male profile after sample concentration. Conclusions: This research shows that salivary DNA can be collected from skin after showering and successfully analyzed using Y-STRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic DNA analysis of sexual assault evidence requires unambiguous differentiation of DNA profiles in mixed samples. To investigate the feasibility of magnetic bead-based separation of sperm from cell mixtures using a monoclonal antibody against MOSPD3 (motile sperm domain-containing protein 3), 30 cell samples were prepared by mixing 10 female buccal epithelial cells with sperm cells of varying densities (10, 10, or 10 cells/mL). Western blot and immunofluorescence assays showed that MOSPD3 was detectable on the membrane of sperm cells, but not in buccal epithelial cells. After biotinylated MOSPD3 antibody was incubated successively with the prepared cell mixtures and avidin-coated magnetic beads, microscopic observation revealed that each sperm cell was bound by two or more magnetic beads, in the head, neck, mid-piece, or flagellum. A full single-source short tandem repeat profile could be obtained in 80 % of mixed samples containing 10 sperm cells/mL and in all samples containing ≥10 sperm cells/mL. For dried vaginal swab specimens, the rate of successful detection was 100 % in both flocked and cotton swabs preserved for 1 day, 87.5 % in flocked swabs and 40 % in cotton swabs preserved for 3 days, and 40 % in flocked swabs and 16.67 % in cotton swabs preserved for 10 days. Our findings suggest that immunomagnetic bead-based separation is potentially a promising alternative to conventional methods for isolating sperm cells from mixed forensic samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since adults with histories of sexual abuse as children experience both dysregulation of cortisol and increased inflammatory markers, we hypothesized that plasma cortisol dysregulation and increased plasma IL-6 would be detectable at the first presentation of pre-pubertal girls to a sexual abuse clinic. Following the stressful forensic examination, the 11 patients recruited to the study had significantly different cortisol concentrations ( p < 0.0075), depending on whether they resided with family (309 ± 101 nmol/l) or in a children's home (157 ± 38 nmol/l). IL-6 was detected in all patients residing in a children's home, with plasma cortisol and IL-6 being inversely correlated ( r = −0.8875). Our study demonstrates an association between decreased cortisol secretion, inflammation, and place of residence in sexually abused girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]