Juvenile sexual abuse : profile of the alleged victims attended at the Forensic Medical Institute in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Abstract

To analyze comparatively the profile of the alleged victims of sexual abuse in children under 18 attended at the Forensic Medical Institute of Belo Horizonte (IML-BH), Minas Gerais, Brazil. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on the forensic reports performed in IML-BH with victims under 18 suspected of sexual abuse attended between December 2007 and March 2012. During the study period 2071 medical investigations were conducted in under 18-year-old alleged victims of sexual abuse. In total, 58.5% were children and 41.5% were teenagers, mostly females (81.6%). Concerning the alleged abusers, there was a higher prevalence of men (97.4%). The most prevalent topography found in these cases was the upper limbs in both genders. Swab was collected during search for semen e in 35.1% of cases. Of these, only those collected within 48 hours after the abuse and in vaginal and anal topography tested positive. Compared with adolescents, children are more likely to be abused. Males have a higher risk of victimization than those of female gender in relation to children age group, however, the contrary happens in the juvenile age group. eaking a cultural taboo of man in relation to care of your health.