ABSTRACT

Child sexual abuse is the abuse of the child, who has not yet completed his/her sexual development, by an adult for sexual arousal. Misdiagdosed sexual abuse is the cause of either sus-pect’s being punished or harming of unguilt as well as prevent-ing children’s protection. In this study, it was aimed to evalu-ate child sexual abuse cases with their characteristics and exam-ination periods which are informed to Kocaeli University School of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine.

Between 1998-2006, the reports and files of cases at the regis-ters of Kocaeli University School of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, examined retrospectively. Fifty cases (3,1%)under the heading of sexual abuse are included in the study.

It is determined that 62% of cases are females, 38% of them are males and 60 % of the cases are under the age of 12. It is also determined that suspects are mostly the cases’ acquanin-tances (70%) and all of suspects are males. In the 36% (n= 18) of the cases, the questions are asked towards physical diagnosis, in 50% (n=25) of the cases, the questions were oriented towards mental health, while 14% (n=7) of the cases are exam-ined through both physical and mental evaluations. Impair-ment of mental health which can be considered as the result of sexual abuse are determined in the 60,5% (n = 23) of 38 mental-oriented cases

After recent legal arrangement, a significant increase in sexu-al abuses is observed and recorded in Department of Forensic Medicine. The organisation and functioning of the units con-nected to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice are considered unsuitable for the evaluation of sexual abuse. Foun-dation of Center of Sexual Abuse Evaluation would provide early treatment of present or probable pathologies as well as precise diagnosis.

Keywords: Child, sexual abuse, mental evaluation, child psychiatry