De Jong A R, Rose M
Department of Pediatrics, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107.
Pediatrics. 1989 Dec;84(6):1022-6.
Clinicians have long recognized and attorneys have disputed that physical evidence of injury, sexually transmitted diseases, and seminal fluid are often absent in cases of child sexual abuse. To determine the frequency and significance of physical evidence in legally "proven" felony cases with penetration, a retrospective review of sexual abuse court records was done. A total of 45 randomly selected cases were reviewed; 39 (87%) had resulted in conviction of the perpetrator for felony. Charges of vaginal rape were made in 32 cases, and charges of oral and/or anal sodomy in 23 cases. No significant difference in rate of felony conviction was found in cases with or without physical evidence. Of 32 cases without physical evidence, 30 (94%) resulted in felony convictions, whereas only 9 of 13 cases (69%) with physical evidence resulted in a felony conviction. Multiple variables describing the abuse situation were not shown to effect the legal outcome of the cases. Of cases that resulted in felony convictions, physical evidence was present in only 23% (9 of 39). These results should be helpful for the clinician in counseling the family of the sexual abuse victim and the attorney who prosecutes child sexual abuse cases.
长期以来，临床医生已经认识到，而律师们则对此存在争议：在儿童性虐待案件中，伤害的身体证据、性传播疾病和精液往往并不存在。为了确定在法律上“已证实”的涉及性侵的重罪案件中身体证据出现的频率和意义，对性虐待法庭记录进行了回顾性审查。总共审查了45个随机挑选的案件；其中39起（87%）犯罪者被判定犯有重罪。32起案件指控为阴道强奸，23起案件指控为口交和/或肛交。在有或没有身体证据的案件中，重罪定罪率没有显著差异。在32起没有身体证据的案件中，30起（94%）导致重罪定罪，而在13起有身体证据的案件中，只有9起（69%）导致重罪定罪。描述虐待情况的多个变量并未显示会影响案件的法律结果。在导致重罪定罪的案件中，只有23%（39起中的9起）存在身体证据。这些结果应该有助于临床医生为性虐待受害者的家庭提供咨询，也有助于起诉儿童性虐待案件的律师。
