Pattern of alleged sexual assault cases presenting to a tertiary care hospital: A retrospective cross-sectional observational study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i3.2587Keywords:
sexual assault, tertiary care hospital, forensic profile, medicolegal documentation, survivor care, retrospective observational studyAbstract
Background:
Alleged sexual assault is a medical, psychological, social, and medicolegal emergency. Hospital-based data help define survivor profiles, assault characteristics, injury patterns, and service gaps.
Objectives:
To describe the sociodemographic profile, assault characteristics, clinical findings, forensic profile, immediate management, and short-term outcome of alleged sexual assault cases presenting to a tertiary care hospital.
Methods:
This retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Government Medical College, Kamareddy, Telangana, India, from January 2025 to December 2025. Records of 100 alleged sexual assault cases presenting to the tertiary care hospital were reviewed using a structured data abstraction form. Sociodemographic details, assault characteristics, clinical and forensic findings, immediate management, medicolegal actions, and short-term outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics after de-identification of data.
Results:
Most survivors were aged 18-25 years, female, unmarried, and from rural areas. Students formed the largest occupational group. Nearly half presented within 24 hours, and the alleged assailant was known to the survivor in most cases. Penetrative assault predominated, with vaginal assault being the commonest category. External injuries were documented in 39.0% and fresh genital injuries in 27.0% of cases. Forensic evidence collection was performed in 88.0%, and medicolegal documentation in 93.0% of cases. Follow-up attendance remained low.
Conclusion:
Young female survivors constituted the majority of cases, and known assailants were common. Although medicolegal documentation and forensic collection were achieved in most patients, gaps remained in preventive care, counseling, and continuity of follow-up.
Recommendations:
Standardized sexual assault response protocols, timely forensic and preventive services, stronger psychosocial support, and structured follow-up systems are required to improve survivor-centered hospital care.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Zameeruddin Ahmed Hashmi, Dr. Ganja Chandra Deepak, Dr. Katkam Ramu
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