PROFILING OF CASES BROUGHT FOR ASSESSING IMPOTENCY AND THE MEDICOLEGAL ISSUES THEREOF: AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE.

Abstract

Introduction: Impotence is dened as the inability to perform sexual intercourse. Police routinely bring in rape accused to determine their ability to perform sexual intercourse. Potency is presumed as an inherent ability, and impotency must be proved with certainty to be helpful as defense in rape cases. This is a retrospective study based on m Methods: edical records already available in the Department of Forensic Medicine, in a tertiary hospital of State of Punjab, India. The study included medical records of patients accused of rape or sodomy between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2022. These patients were brought in by police for determining their ability to perform sexual intercourse and medicolegally examined. A total of Results: 43 cases were included in this study. Ages ranged from 11 to 55 years with a mean of 21.3 + 7.6 years. Three patients were found pre-diabetic. Four patients had a deranged lipid prole. One patient had slightly abnormal liver function tests. Serum testosterone levels were elevated in two patients and low in one individual. On psychological testing, no gross cognitive impairment or active psychopathology was found. IQ ranged from 89 to 103. On assessment of knowledge and attitude, 41 patients had sexual knowledge appropriate to their age. Medical professionals preparing medicol Discussion: egal reports in such cases rely on physical examination and opine in a routine manner. Such examinations may establish impotency at the time of examination, but not at the time the crime allegedly transpired. Also, impotency may vary from total inability, inconsistent ability, or tendency to sustain brief erections. Impotence is dif Conclusion: cult to establish conclusively. It is an opinion by inference. Medico legal practitioners must make a concerted effort to conduct a detailed examination of the accused