Medico-legal characterization of victims of sexual crimes in minors

Abstract

Background: sexual crimes in minors constitute a complex social phenomenon that is present in all the nations of the world. In Cuba there has been an increase in the record of incidents in this regard.Objective: to describe the epidemiological and medico-legal aspects of sexual crimes and the victimization of the victim in minors under 18 years of age, treated at the department of forensic medicine of the "Dr. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna" General Teaching Hospital, of the province of Las Tunas, from January 2014 to December 2015.Methods: a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. The universe was made up of minors who were victims of sexual crimes and went to the department and during the period of time declared in the objective. The sample consisted of 172 children whose parents or guardians agreed to participate in the study. The data were processed using descriptive statistics, by means of the percentage analysis.Results: it was found that sexual crimes affected mostly female minors (91,3 %), in ages between 12 and 18 years (52,3 %). The crimes that were more frequently categorized as crimes were lewd abuse and rape, committed by an acquaintance and occurring in the victim's home. 88,4 % of the minors were explored more than once before visiting the department of forensic medicine. Several alterations were registered in the habitual behavior of the victims.Conclusions: it was possible to describe the medical-legal characteristics of the minors included in the study who were victims of alleged sex crimes.

Keywords

• forensic medicine
• sex offenses
• rape
• crime victims