Delayed disclosure and disrupted communication during forensic investigation of child sexual abuse: a study of 47 corroborated cases.

Abstract

To study factors of relevance for the understanding of disclosure of child sexual abuse. Cases from a Swedish district court involving 47 children in which allegations of child sexual abuse had been corroborated by a confession from the defendant were studied. Delayed disclosure was related to a close relationship with the perpetrator and young age at the first experience of abuse. Disrupted communication during the police interview was related to less violent abuse. The findings highlight the importance of social factors in children's disclosure of sexual abuse.