The uses and impacts of medico-legal evidence in sexual assault cases: A global review
Sexual violence research initiative
OVERVIEW
This review provides a global overview of the historical and contemporary uses and impacts of medico-legal evidence in cases of sexual assault of adolescents and adults. It examines the existing peer-reviewed scholarly and grey literature from high-, low- and middle-income regions, presents findings from studies that have evaluated the legal impact of medico-legal evidence in sexual assault cases and discusses factors that may create barriers to the successful use of evidence in criminal justice proceedings. The review concludes with a summary, identifies salient knowledge gaps and unpublished materials.