ALLEGED CASES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTED TO TWO ADDIS ABABA HOSPITALS

Objectives: To identify the demographic characteristics of victims, their relation tto thealleged assailants, the degree of physical injury, the incidence of pregnancy, the pattern ofreporting 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 ofpregnancy, the degree of physical injury, time of reporting, and the care given at thehospitals.Results: Victims were mainly children aged less than fifteen years and less educated. Seventythree (42.9%) cases indicated that the offenders were strangers 46.9 (27.1%) were labelledas neighhours. The physical injury identified ranged from minor trauma over the genitaliato perineal injury of major degree. Eleven women (6.5%) were pregnant at the tiime ofreporting. There was significant delay in reporting to the health institution as well as to thepolice with a mean delay of 15.6 and 18.4 days respectively. The hospital care focussed on thehealing of physical injury but not the healing of the psychological traumaConclusion: Sexual assault is an important health and social problem affecting the youlng andless educated girls. The importance of early reporting for evidence collection as well as forprevention of the consequences of this aggression is not appreciated by the victims as well astheir relatives. There is need for more effort to prevent this crime as well as to improve thecare given to the survivors