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ALLEGED CASES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTED TO TWO ADDIS ABABA HOSPITALS
Abstract
Objectives: To identify the demographic characteristics of victims, their relation tto the
alleged assailants, the degree of physical injury, the incidence of pregnancy, the pattern of
reporting and the care given to these victims.
Design: Cross-sectional prospective study.
Setting: Tikur Anbessa and St. Paul's hospitals, Addis Ahaba, Ethiopia.
Patients: One hundred and seventy reported cases of alleged sexual assault.
Main outcome measures: Ilemographic characteristics, relation to the offender, the rate of
pregnancy, the degree of physical injury, time of reporting, and the care given at the
hospitals.
Results: Victims were mainly children aged less than fifteen years and less educated. Seventy
three (42.9%) cases indicated that the offenders were strangers 46.9 (27.1%) were labelled
as neighhours. The physical injury identified ranged from minor trauma over the genitalia
to perineal injury of major degree. Eleven women (6.5%) were pregnant at the tiime of
reporting. There was significant delay in reporting to the health institution as well as to the
police with a mean delay of 15.6 and 18.4 days respectively. The hospital care focussed on the
healing of physical injury but not the healing of the psychological trauma
Conclusion: Sexual assault is an important health and social problem affecting the youlng and
less educated girls. The importance of early reporting for evidence collection as well as for
prevention of the consequences of this aggression is not appreciated by the victims as well as
their relatives. There is need for more effort to prevent this crime as well as to improve the
care given to the survivors.
alleged assailants, the degree of physical injury, the incidence of pregnancy, the pattern of
reporting and the care given to these victims.
Design: Cross-sectional prospective study.
Setting: Tikur Anbessa and St. Paul's hospitals, Addis Ahaba, Ethiopia.
Patients: One hundred and seventy reported cases of alleged sexual assault.
Main outcome measures: Ilemographic characteristics, relation to the offender, the rate of
pregnancy, the degree of physical injury, time of reporting, and the care given at the
hospitals.
Results: Victims were mainly children aged less than fifteen years and less educated. Seventy
three (42.9%) cases indicated that the offenders were strangers 46.9 (27.1%) were labelled
as neighhours. The physical injury identified ranged from minor trauma over the genitalia
to perineal injury of major degree. Eleven women (6.5%) were pregnant at the tiime of
reporting. There was significant delay in reporting to the health institution as well as to the
police with a mean delay of 15.6 and 18.4 days respectively. The hospital care focussed on the
healing of physical injury but not the healing of the psychological trauma
Conclusion: Sexual assault is an important health and social problem affecting the youlng and
less educated girls. The importance of early reporting for evidence collection as well as for
prevention of the consequences of this aggression is not appreciated by the victims as well as
their relatives. There is need for more effort to prevent this crime as well as to improve the
care given to the survivors.
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