Sexual Assault: Forensic Examination in the Living andDeceased

摘要

The forensic examination of a person suspected of having been sexually assaultedencapsulates the breadth of forensic medicine possibly more completely than any othersituation in forensic practice. Whether in the living or deceased, detection of injury andbiological material to support or exclude sexual activity requires a careful, methodicalapproach to ensure robust evidentiary value and an understanding of genito-anal anatomyand sexual physiology to interpret its significance for the courts. This paper is notintended as an exhaustive guideline but aims to provide a general overview of the keycomponents of forensic sexual assault examination highlighting the common and differentaspects in living and deceased persons.