Emergency Department Visits for Sexual Assault: A Retrospective Review of Injury Reports

Highlights What are the main findings? Sexual assaults occur especially during weekends, and the perpetrator is usually someone known to the victim. Victims of sexual assault are increasingly younger. Victims of sexual assault have very frequently consumed alcohol or other drugs of abuse. Women who have consumed alcohol are less likely to report the assault after experiencing sexual violence. There is relevant information for judicial proceedings that is not consistently collected during the initial medical evaluation. What are the implications of the main findings? Understanding the demographic profile of victims and the temporal pattern of sexual assaults is useful for tailoring interventions. Preventing sexual assaults requires knowledge of the characteristics of the assaults, the perpetrators, and the victims. The data and samples collected during the initial medical care of a sexual assault victim will shape the entire judicial process. Abstract Objectives: This study aims to characterize sexual assaults through the analysis of demographic, clinical, and medico-legal variables and to identify areas for improvement both in the care pathway and in the collection of information relevant to judicial proceedings. Methods: A retrospective review of injury reports issued by the reference hospital in Cantabria (northern Spain) between 2021 and 2024 was conducted. Variables related to the victim and the assault (including its temporal and spatial characteristics) were extracted, and both descriptive and analytical statistical methods were applied. Results: The results showed that 57% of reported sexual assaults occurred in a private residence, and in 68% of cases, the victim had voluntarily met with the aggressor. Temporally, incidents took place predominantly during early morning hours and on weekends, and most victims sought medical care within the first 24 h. Notably, 52% had consumed drugs or alcohol, 22% reported memory gaps suggestive of chemical submission, and victims who had consumed alcohol were less likely to express an intention to press charges (p = 0.005). In over half of the reports, the information provided was insufficient to properly interpret the results of biological trace analyses. Conclusions: Identifying common variables related to both the victims and the circumstances of sexual assault is essential for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. Furthermore, the information to be included in injury reports for sexual assault should be standardized at the national level, as shortcomings in data collection during the initial medical assessment (which is highly relevant for judicial processes) highlight the need to raise awareness among emergency care professionals.