Volume 56, Issue 5 pp. 1156-1162

PAPER
GENERAL

To be Used or Not to be Used, that is the Question: Legal Use of Forensic and Clinical Information Collected in a Self-referral Sexual Assault Centre*

Helle Nesvold M.D.,

Helle Nesvold M.D.

Oslo Sexual Assault Centre, The Emergency Medical Agency, Legevakten, N - 0182 Oslo, Norway.

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Kari Ormstad M.D., Ph.D.,

Kari Ormstad M.D., Ph.D.

Department of Forensic Medicine, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, N - 0403 Oslo, Norway.

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Svein Friis M.D., Ph.D.,

Svein Friis M.D., Ph.D.

Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, N - 0318 Oslo, Norway.

Division of Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, N - 0424 Oslo, Norway.

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Helle Nesvold M.D.,

Helle Nesvold M.D.

Oslo Sexual Assault Centre, The Emergency Medical Agency, Legevakten, N - 0182 Oslo, Norway.

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Kari Ormstad M.D., Ph.D.,

Kari Ormstad M.D., Ph.D.

Department of Forensic Medicine, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, N - 0403 Oslo, Norway.

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Svein Friis M.D., Ph.D.,

Svein Friis M.D., Ph.D.

Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, N - 0318 Oslo, Norway.

Division of Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, N - 0424 Oslo, Norway.

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First published: 09 August 2011

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01879.x

Citations: 5

Additional information and reprint requests:
Helle Nesvold, M.D.
Oslo Sexual Assault Centre
The Emergency Medical Agency
Storgt 40
N - 0182 Oslo
Norway
E-mail: [email protected]

^†

Funding received from The Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation, and Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association.

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Abstract

Abstract: This study explores how the police select cases for using information from a self-referral Sexual Assault Centre (SAC). The study is retrospective and descriptive: a 2-year series from a Scandinavian SAC and corresponding police files. The police had access to 163 SAC cases, requested 84% of available forensic medical documentation, and had 50% of the trace samples analyzed. The two main predictors of police utilization of forensic evidence were cases the police classified as rape and complaints filed during January to August. Extrinsic DNA was found in 27/60 trace evidence analyses, 21 matching a suspect. For one-third of the suspects who denied sexual acts, the forensic evidence contradicted their denial. Nonuse forfeited this possibility in several cases, and relevant information on injuries was lost. Our results indicate that available medical information is not fully utilized for legal purposes. Main barriers are police classification of cases and insufficient economic funding.

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Volume56, Issue5

September 2011

Pages 1156-1162

To be Used or Not to be Used, that is the Question: Legal Use of Forensic and Clinical Information Collected in a Self-referral Sexual Assault Centre*

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To be Used or Not to be Used, that is the Question: Legal Use of Forensic and Clinical Information Collected in a Self-referral Sexual Assault Centre*

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