Alleged Assault Research Articles

Harmonising tradition and child welfare: ordination of Buddhist child monks in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, where a majority follows Theravada Buddhism, there are rituals and norms related to the ordination of monks, as well as a process of certification. An 8-year-old male novice monk was presented for clinical forensic examination following an assault at a temple by several other fellow novice monks. Further investigation revealed that this recently-ordained monk did not possess proper certification of ordination and financial exploitation of the young monks’ priesthood status and the alleged assault were suspected. This case discusses several suggestions, including the legal reinforcement of a probationary period, streamlining the registration process, and setting a minimum age for ordination, to safeguard the welfare of child monks while supporting the norms and traditions of priesthood.

Severe ocular chemical injury in the UK: a British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit study.

Severe ocular chemical injury is a potentially devastating condition which most commonly affects men of working age. Workplace injuries previously accounted for the majority of incidents, but there has been a recent increase in assaults involving corrosive substances throughout the UK. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence and demographics of severe ocular chemical injury and describe current surgical management practices. Cases were prospectively ascertained through the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit monthly reporting system during 2019-21. In total, 20 cases involving 29 eyes met the inclusion criteria. The reported incidence of severe ocular chemical injury during the pre-pandemic period of the study was 0.24 per million. Cases due to alleged assault have become more common than workplace injuries. A total of 81% patients had persistent complications at 6 months requiring ongoing treatment, and 60% patients required surgical intervention. Although there are limitations with the case ascertainment methods, severe ocular chemical injury remains rare within the UK. There has been a proportionate increase in cases related to alleged assault compared with previous similar studies. Amniotic membrane grafting remains the most commonly performed surgical procedure in these patients.

Measuring the long-term support needs of adult service-users at Saint Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre

This article outlines a feasibility study to investigate the potential of measuring the support needs of adult service users of a sexual assault referral centre (SARC). A self-completion questionnaire was designed with the aim of capturing these needs, as well as how they change over time and with support provided. The questionnaire underwent revisions following consultations with organisations representing survivors. Survivors of sexual assault who attended Saint Mary’s SARC were invited to complete a questionnaire at three-month intervals after their first visit to the SARC. The process of recruitment was necessarily complex, potentially compounding the issue of low response: only 18 participants completed the questionnaire at the first time point, and only nine of those completed a follow-up questionnaire three months later. The responses demonstrated the value of connecting information gathered by forensic physicians with a social survey. This study design reduced the potential of re-traumatisation by avoiding the need for participants to revisit any details of the alleged assault. More work is required to understand what methods will help establish an enduring commitment to completing follow-up questionnaires from a population dealing with the aftermath of trauma.

Female adolescent sexual assault; a national review of 1014 consecutive cases

BackgroundSexual violence is common in contemporary society and disproportionally affects adolescents. In order to develop effective treatment, awareness and prevention strategies it is vital that we understand the epidemiology of adolescent sexual assault (SA). The aim of this study is to evaluate attendances by female adolescents to the national sexual assault treatment unit (SATU) network in the Republic of Ireland and compare these attendances with adult women accessing the service. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study analysing the attendances of all adolescent female attendances at the 6 SATUs in the Republic of Ireland and comparing them with all adult female attendances between 1/1/2017 and 31/12/2022. ResultsThere were 1014 female adolescent attendances and 3951 female adult attendances over the timeframe studied. Adult attenders were more likely to attend within 7-days of the alleged assault compared with adolescent attenders (80.3% V 70.2% OR1.513 CI 1.35-1.697 p < 0.001). When compared with adult attenders, adolescent attenders were significantly more likely to disclose being assaulted outdoors (40.9% V 15.7% OR2.607 CI 2.346-2.898 p < 0.01), during the day (58.4% V 34.4% OR1.673 CI 1.565-1.790 p < 0.01), assaulted by a friend/family member (28.9% V 16% OR 1.812 CI1.603-2.049 p < 0.01) and less likely to have consumed alcohol prior to the incident (45.6% V 25.3% OR1.807 CI 1.653-1.975 p < 0.001). Physical injuries were less likely in adolescent attenders (30% V 35.5% OR0.845 CI 0.758-0.942 p = 0.02). ConclusionA comparison of the characteristics of adolescent and adult female sexual assault disclosures identifies differences regarding location of the incident, relationship to perpetrator and prevalence of alcohol consumption. Knowledge of these factors support appropriate tailoring of treatment, prevention and awareness strategies to help modify the impact and reduce the incidence of SA in the vulnerable adolescent cohort.

Mock-Jurors' Judgements in a Sexual Assault Case: The Influence of Defendant Race and Occupational Status, Delayed Reporting, and Multiple Allegations.

Reports of sexual offences have increased in recent years, with many cases involving allegations against high-status individuals (e.g., Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby). In addition, many of these cases have involved allegations against the defendant from multiple victims, with long delays in reporting of the alleged assault. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of defendant occupational status (low vs. high), defendant race (White, Black), number of allegations (one vs. five victims), and the length of reporting delay (5, 20, or 35 years) on mock-juror decision-making. Mock-jurors (N = 752) read a mock-trial transcript describing a sexual assault case. After reading the trial transcript, mock-jurors were asked to provide dichotomous and continuous guilt ratings, as well as ratings regarding their perceptions of the defendant and victim. Results revealed that mock-jurors rendered more guilty verdicts, assigned higher guilt ratings, and perceived the defendant less favorably and the victim more favorably, when the defendant was White (as opposed to Black) and when there were multiple allegations against the defendant. The current findings suggest that defendant race and the number of allegations are highly influential in the context of a sexual assault case.

Briefs

Briefs

Did court dismiss student's retaliation lawsuit?

A female Augustana College student was at an off‐campus bar when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a prospective student who wasn't enrolled at the institution. The female student was intoxicated at the time of the alleged assault.

Did court dismiss student's retaliation lawsuit?

A female Augustana College student was at an off‐campus bar when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a prospective student who wasn't enrolled at the institution. The female student was intoxicated at the time of the alleged assault.

Briefs

Dozens of frat members arrested for hazing UCLA ordered to pay record settlement for sexual abuse case Student suffers traumatic brain injury after hazing Students sue university over alleged assaults

“Sure a Strong Devil”: Mabel Frazer, A. B. Wright, and the University of Utah Art Department's 1937 Sexual Misconduct Case

“Sure a Strong Devil”: Mabel Frazer, A. B. Wright, and the University of Utah Art Department's 1937 Sexual Misconduct Case

Identifying the prevalence of genito-anal injuries amongst clients attending St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre following an allegation of anal penetration

BackgroundThere is a lack of clarity around the prevalence of anal injuries sustained following anal penetration. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of injury amongst clients attending Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Manchester, UK following anal penetration and identify predisposing or protective factors such as age, sex and pubertal status. This should facilitate an evidence-based approach to providing evidence statements in court for allegations of anal penetration. MethodThis was an observational retrospective study analysing the forensic medical examination (FME) case notes of 239 clients between January 2015 and December 2016. Subjects were excluded if the nature of alleged assault was unclear. Data was extracted from the FME case notes on to a data collection proforma and statistical analysis undertaken. ResultsOf the 239 subject, 156 [65.3%] were female and 83 [34.7%] male. Subjects were predominantly post-pubertal, 185 [79.4%]. The alleged assaults were categorised in to penile anal, digital anal and object anal; penile anal assault was the most common type, 177 [75.97%]. No association was found between type of assault and presence of anal injury.Anal injuries did not occur more frequently in one sex than another [21.15% female, 21.69% male]. Logistic regression indicated pre-pubertal children were less likely to have injury [(odds ratio = 0.34, 95% CI (0.078, 0.70), p = 0.016)], although this was not significant when adjusted for time since assault. Most pre-pubertal children presented more than 72 h after alleged assault, [68.2% female, 73.1% male] The presence of anal injury was significantly associated with time since assault across all subjects, with those examined after 72 h less likely to have injury [p = 0.0016].A greater proportion of single suspect assaults [22.8%] resulted in anal injury than multiple suspect assaults [13.9%]. Whilst there was alcohol consumption in most alleged assaults against post-pubertal subjects [56.1% female, 50.9% male], there was no statistically significant data to associate alcohol consumption with anal injury. And, the same was true of drug consumption. Among post-pubertal females 96.21% of assaults involved threats or violence, comparable with 71.70% amongst post-pubertal males. The data did not suggest threats and violence increase the rate of anal injury. ConclusionThe study identifies a statistically significant relationship between time since assault and prevalence of anal injury. Further, a relationship between pubertal status and prevalence of anal injury was found. The low prevalence of anal injury amongst pre-pubertal children suggests that absence of injury at the time of examination, following allegation of anal assault, is a common finding. Importantly, whilst not demonstrating statistical significance, it should be noted that the majority of assaults reported in the study did not result in anal injury. The study provides contemporary evidence in the field of forensic medicine which can be used in court proceedings in allegations of anal assault.

Did court dismiss student's Title IX claim?

A University of Wisconsin student, “Jane Doe,” was allegedly raped by a UW football player. Doe reported the alleged assault to the university, which investigated the incident and found that the football player had sexually assaulted Doe. The university then expelled the football player.

Excision of delayed presented giant pseudoaneurysm of left subclavian artery post stab injury

Post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms involving the subclavian artery are uncommon and whenever diagnosed they should be repaired early because of the risk of complications such as thrombosis, gangrene, limb disability, and rupture may result in death if not reached the hospital early. Presenting a case report of a 20-year-old male who presented with a left subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm following a stab injury to the left axilla. He was referred to our institute, 20 days after the alleged assault. The presentation, diagnosis, and management of this injury are discussed.

Gaslighting in alleged assault ascertained as Munchausen syndrome transcending to malingering in highly counterintuitive self inflicted acid burns.

A factitious disorder leading to the self-infliction of highly counter-intuitive burns was diagnosed in a middle-aged female. The injuries were otherwise alleged to have been sustained by assault inflicted upon her by an unknown person. The case was diagnosed by medico-legal interpretation of injuries, in spite of a highly deceptive and concocted history by the patient and her husband. The entity was unique in being associated with magnificent primary, secondary and tertiary gains. The exploitation of the morbid sequel to malinger by the patient, and the involvement of the husband for the prolongation of the illness of his wife for financial gains as gaslighting was highly unusual. The self-infliction of injuries over hands is seen in factitious disorder. However, a combination of a guarded self-immersion of the hands and feet in a corrosive by an illiterate female, followed by malingering to earn livelihood is unprecedented in factitious disorders. The delayed presentation which required amputation of all the limbs to save the life of the patient is a glaring highlight of this case.

Clients who self-refer to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC): a preliminary exploration of client and case characteristics

ABSTRACT The Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) provides an integrated forensic medical and psychological support service, including support through the criminal justice process. The aims of this preliminary exploratory study were to establish the demographic characteristics of clients who self-refer to Saint Mary's SARC (i.e. those who have not been referred by the police), and to explore the nature of alleged assault and alleged perpetrator characteristics across cases. One-hundred and twenty-eight case notes of adult clients (64 police referrals and 64 self-referrals) from a 12-month period were selected for preliminary review and analyses. Results revealed that age, gender and relationship status were similar across both groups. Significant associations emerged, with the majority of self-referred clients being in either full-time employment or full-time education, with no reported additional needs (e.g. physical disability, learning disability). Self-referred clients also reported less information about the nature of the alleged assault and the alleged perpetrator, when compared to police-referred clients. Collectively, these preliminary findings suggest that self-referred clients present with a different case profile and potentially different service needs than those referred by the police. Further research is warranted with larger sample sizes from a wider range of SARCs.

MEDICO-LEGAL ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS' ALLEGATIONS AMONG ADOLESCENT AND ADULT FEMALES REFERRED TO MEDICOLEGAL DEPARTMENT OF MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AT ALEXANDRIA: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background: Violence against women (VAW) is a universal crime cutting across cultural and religious barriers violating females' human rights. The aim of the study is to assess physical and sexual assaults allegations of adolescent and adult females Subjects and Methods: A prospective study that included all females above the age of 12 years old who were referred to the Medicolegal Department of Ministry of Justice at Alexandria to assess their physical and sexual assaults allegations during a period of 6 months (from the 1st August 2018 till the end of January 2019). Results: A total of 92 females alleged violence (60 sexual and 32 physical assault) were encountered in the study. Nearly three quarters (71.7%) of the females with sexual assault allegations were adolescents, whereas more than three quarters (78.1%) of those with claims of physical abuse were adults. About half (45%) of sexual allegations were attributed to friends, whereas, in physical violence, more than two-thirds (68.7%) of the cases were intrafamilial. A half of physical violence claims were simple wounds and the other half were serious injuries in the form of traumatic abortion, infirmities, Stab, and firearm injuries. Considering sexual allegations, rape represented more than half (56.7%) of sexual assault claims, followed by sodomy (20%), mixed rape and sodomy (11.7%), intercrural intercourse (4%), and attempt of rape (3%). Regarding medico-legal finding; Clear evidence of assault was elucidated in 50% and 35.8%of physical and sexual allegations respectively; while no evidence of alleged assault could be detected in 25% and 40.2% of physical and sexual claims respectively. No firm evidence with the possible occurrence of the alleged assault was the condition in 25% and 23.8%of physical and sexual allegations respectively. Conclusion: Evaluation of physical abuse yield more solid medicolegal opinion in most of the cases. On the contrast, the nature of genital and anal injuries was much more confusing that prone lot of uncertainties. Therefore, rapid medicolegal assessment of the victims of sexual crimes along with the cautious interpretation of findings is advisable.

A COMPARATIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROVISIONS CRIMINALIZING SEXUAL CRIMES IN RUSSIA AND SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The article is devoted to a comparative legal study of the norms providing for criminal liability for sexualcrimes in the Russian Federation and some European countries. Some features of criminal liability for thisgroup of crimes in Spain, France, Israel, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland are investigated. It is noted that theapproach to differentiation for violent sexual crimes in different countries is different. Several qualifyingcircumstances were noted that could be borrowed to improve our legislation. These include: the commissionof the alleged assault, by a relative, relative or relative by virtue of adoption, or by any other person havingauthority over the victim; if the victim has come into contact with the perpetrator of criminal acts throughthe use of telecommunication networks; if the act is committed by several persons acting as performersor accomplices; using his official position. The rule that if two or more of the qualifying circumstances arepresent is assessed, the penalty is imposed closer to the upper limit of the sanction. It is proposed to carry out an additional analysis of the ban on disclosing the person’s name or any other data that may indicatethe person as a victim or as having lodged a complaint that he is a victim of a crime against sexual freedomor sexual integrity. Attention is also drawn to sanctions for the group of crimes under consideration. In theRussian criminal law they are more humane than in foreign countrie

Large Group Regression and the Emergence of Psychopolitical Criminality

AbstractThis article examines criminality that can emerge within the context of a political party’s large group regression. The group behavior of the Democratic party after its loss in the 2016 United States Presidential election serves as a case that illustrates this concept. Psychoanalytic concepts discussed by Vamik Volkan are used as the framework for understanding the party’s group behavior. Since its loss in the election, the Democratic party has demonstrated remarkable coherence in its hostility towards Republicans. The hostility has ranged from uncivil behavior to violence manifested across a range of socioeconomic statuses and locations. The steep decline in the Democratic party’s civility towards its opponent is indicative of a large group regression. The loss of the 2016 Presidential election precipitated the party’s regression, which has left its members responding in primitive psychological ways. A range of criminality has emerged within this regressed state, such as assault, battery, and false police allegations. The regressed state of the party leaves it vulnerable to malignant narcissistic leadership or dysfunctional ideologies, which can normalize the regressive behavior. The large group regression examined in this paper may apply to other Western societies that experience dramatic sociopolitical change.

Globe luxation, complex eyelid laceration and lost medial rectus: extreme complication of ocular trauma

A 42-year-old man presented to our emergency services 2 days following blunt trauma caused by an iron rod during an alleged assault. The patient was conscious, alert and oriented to...

Sexually assaulted older women attending a U.K. sexual assault referral centre for a forensic medical examination

There is a paucity of literature on sexual violence against older adults, particularly in the U.K. This work aims to identify and describe the characteristics of alleged sexual assault and subsequent forensic medical examination (FME) for older clients presenting to a large sexual assault referral centre (SARC) in Manchester over a ten-year period. A retrospective analysis of forensic case notes was conducted for all clients (n = 39) who had attended for an FME between 2007 and 2017, and who were aged 70 or over at the time of the alleged assault. The average age of clients was 83 years, all were white, and 95% were female. Two populations were identified: a less frail population who had been assaulted at home by an alleged stranger with greater physical violence alleged, and a frailer population, with a greater incidence of dementia (77%), who were alleged to have been assaulted by a care-giver or fellow resident in a place of care. We note the need for flexibility in the site of FME, the underrepresentation of minority populations in SARC attendees, and difficulties with description of events by clients. We identify several patterns of non-age related anogenital and body examination findings, and offer recommendations for sexual assault services on how they may better cater to older populations.