{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T09:46:02Z","timestamp":1782812762811,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782777600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782777600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Intl J Gynecology &amp;amp; Obste"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Sexual violence affects 22% of Australian women, posing health and justice challenges. Systemic failures, fragmented data, and low conviction rates hinder effective responses. This study integrates Australian Capital Territory (ACT) medical and policing datasets to examine victim characteristics and case progression from clinical presentation to legal outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This retrospective study analyzed 2179 deidentified cases of female sexual assault victims presenting to Forensic and Medical Sexual Assault Care (FAMSAC) between 2004 and 2022. De\u2010identified patient variables and ACT Policing data were integrated and analyzed to examine victim characteristics and case progression from medical consultation to legal outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Of 2179 females presenting for forensic and medical care, 41.8% reported to ACT Policing, 19.2% progressed to court and 10.4% of cases resulted in a conviction. Drug use (14.9%) was negatively associated with case progression, while alcohol use and pre\u2010existing mental health conditions showed no significant effect. No victim, assailant, or medical factors were associated with conviction outcomes. Among cases withdrawn at the policing stage, anal penetration, forensic photography, and presentation outside business hours were associated with continuation to court. Overall, 54.3% of cases that proceeded to court resulted in conviction.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Through collaborative practices, this study establishes a baseline for continuous system review from forensic medical presentation to court outcome. Legal outcomes were independent of victim characteristics, assault details, and medical findings, with attrition at every stage. Medical documentation alone could not predict conviction, though it may support the finders of fact. Further research is needed to assess whether medical evidence influences police action, court pleas, and convictions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.71190","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T09:20:26Z","timestamp":1782811226000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The female journey following sexual assault: Medical care, law enforcement and judicial outcomes"],"prefix":"10.1002","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5274-4915","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vanita","family":"Parekh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Forensic Medical Services Canberra Health Services  Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia"},{"name":"The Australian National University  Canberra Australia"},{"name":"University of Canberra  Canberra Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Woodburn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ACT Policing, Australian Federal Police  Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephanie","family":"Leonard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ACT Policing, Australian Federal Police  Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bridget","family":"Bourke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ACT Policing, Australian Federal Police  Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5402-5946","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Janine","family":"McMinn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Forensic Medical Services Canberra Health Services  Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3966-6005","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Brkic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Forensic Medical Services Canberra Health Services  Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ash","family":"Byron","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ACT Policing, Australian Federal Police  Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katelyn","family":"Pomroy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ACT Policing, Australian Federal Police  Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_12_2_1","volume-title":"Personal Safety Survey, Australia, 2021\u201322","author":"Australian Bureau of Statistics","year":"2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_3_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization.Violence against women: key facts. WHO Fact Sheet.2024https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\u2010room\/fact\u2010sheets\/detail\/violence\u2010against\u2010women"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2024.1498969"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_5_1","unstructured":"Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.Health outcomes of family domestic and sexual violence. AIHW.2025https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/family\u2010domestic\u2010and\u2010sexual\u2010violence\/responses\u2010and\u2010outcomes\/health\u2010outcomes"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2017-019995"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_7_1","unstructured":"Department of Health and Aged Care (Australia).Family domestic and sexual violence. 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The Uses and Impacts of Medico\u2010Legal Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases: a Global Review","author":"Du Mont J","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_20_1","volume-title":"The Role of Forensic Medical Evidence in the Prosecution of Adult Sexual Assault","author":"Quadara A","year":"2013"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jflm.2025.102956"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2023-055944"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jflm.2024.102676"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_24_1","volume-title":"Statistical linkage key 581 (SLK\u2010581): guide for use","author":"Australian Institute of Health and Welfare","year":"2016"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_25_1","volume-title":"Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT)","author":"Australian Capital Territory","year":"2011"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_26_1","unstructured":"Australian Bureau of Statistics.Defining the data challenge for domestic sexual violence Australia 2013.2015."},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_2_12_27_1","first-page":"565","article-title":"Rape and attrition in the legal process: a comparative analysis of five countries","volume":"44","author":"Daly K","year":"2010","journal-title":"Law Soc Rev"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_28_1","volume-title":"Attrition of sexual assaults from the NSW criminal justice system [Internet]","author":"NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research","year":"2025"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_29_1","volume-title":"Independent review of cases reported to ACT Policing that did not progress to charge [Internet]","author":"ACT Sexual Assault Review","year":"2022"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_30_1","volume-title":"Report: Inquiry into the circumstances that led to the conviction of Mr Farah Abdulkadir Jama","author":"Vincent FHR","year":"2010"},{"issue":"9","key":"e_1_2_12_31_1","first-page":"a581","article-title":"Beyond the verdict: a trauma science perspective on low conviction rates in sexual assault cases","volume":"10","author":"Anand V","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int J Sci Dev Res"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_32_1","unstructured":"RAINN.Statistics: The Criminal Justice System. 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