To confront sexual violence, we must train non-forensic experts to perform medico-legal evaluations

Abstract

Sexual violence is a global crisis. Forensic evaluations are critical for obtaining evidence and increasing the likelihood of accessing justice, as many cases fail due to lack of evidence or poor evidence. In some countries, only board-certified forensic specialists are authorized to conduct forensic evaluations. However, the high number of sexual violence cases coupled with the shortage of forensic physicians make that restriction a fundamental impediment to a rights-based response to sexual violence crimes. Governments and regulatory bodies should expand the pool of those capable of conducting forensic sexual violence evaluations by partnering with clinicians of different specialties and facilitating their training.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a mobile application to improve the quality, collection, and usability of forensic documentation of sexual violence

“…MediCapt supports a broader range of trained health professionals in documenting high quality forensic evidence of sexual violence in contexts where those services are harder to access due to shortages in trained personnel [ 40 ]. MediCapt can contribute to survivors better realizing their right to health by ensuring that medical-legal examinations are more accessible, acceptable, available, and of higher quality [ 41 ].…”