Evaluation of forensic medical care to victims of underage sexual violence in the province of Alicante (Spain)

Introduction: sexual abuse of minors is a complex social problem that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Material and methods: retrospective descriptive study of 256 victims of sexual violence aged less than 18 years managed by the forensic medical team of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Alicante between 2016 to 2020. The sample was divided in two groups based on age: 0 to 12 years (104 cases; 40.6%) and 13 to 17 years (152 cases; 59.4%). Results: In most cases, the victim was female (228 cases; 89.1%), a single perpetrator was reported (218 cases; 89%) and the perpetrator was known to the victim (185 cases; 74.6%). In the younger age group, the most frequent type of sexual violence was fondling (75 cases), while in the older age group it was vaginal penetration (57 cases). In 51 cases (19.9% of the total), repeated episodes of sexual violence occurred, mainly within the family. Most victims did not present with physical injuries (70.3% of the total). Almost half of the physical injuries (60 cases; 39.5%) and all the psychological sequelae (3 cases; 1.5%) occurred in the older age group. Chemical submission was suspected in 17 cases (6.7% of the total), mainly in the older age group (15 cases; 10.1%). The most frequently detected substance was alcohol, followed by cannabis and benzodiazepines. Conclusions: our data show the important role of Institutes of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences as sources of information and providing resources that facilitate the detection of sexual violence and the development of prevention strategies.