{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T01:59:18Z","timestamp":1784858358105,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750204800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"The Danish Victims Fund","award":["20-610-00102"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20-610-00102"]}]},{"name":"The Danish Victims Fund","award":["21-610-00133"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21-610-00133"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100007437","name":"TrygFonden","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["159063"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["159063"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100007437","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Med Sci Law"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Child abuse, including physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect, is a global problem with serious and long-term consequences for children. Even though child abuse is prohibited in Denmark, the estimated number of physically and sexually abused children is relatively high, whereas the annual number of forensically examined children is low. We present the Danish practice and legal foundation for the clinical forensic medical examination (hereinafter referred to as \u201cforensic examination\u201d) in suspected child abuse cases. Forensically documented findings may contribute to the police investigation and legal assessment of child abuse cases, safeguarding the rule of law for both children and suspected perpetrators. The forensic examinations are accredited according to international and European standards, and the Department of Forensic Medicine is regularly assessed for the fulfillment of accreditation. Accreditation, delimitations from medical treatment and police employment, and the fact that the department refers to the University of Copenhagen ensure impartiality from the police and the judicial system. A cross-sectoral intervention project has significantly increased the annual number of forensically examined children at the Danish Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) in Copenhagen, which supports children's legal rights and holds research potential due to systematic and continuous data collection.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/00258024251348728","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T05:35:32Z","timestamp":1750224932000},"page":"52-61","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Clinical forensic medical examinations conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen in child abuse cases"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"66","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9357-6337","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"D.","family":"Justesen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0633-148X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"L.","family":"Slot","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0565-0566","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"L.","family":"Thorlacius-Ussing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7172-4186","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"A.","family":"Bugge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5229-7502","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C.J.","family":"Wingren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7559-1285","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J.","family":"Banner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2015-4079"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_2","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO). 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Befolkning efter alder og region [Population by age and region] www.statistikbanken.dk\/statbank5a\/default.asp?w=1536 (2024 accessed 20 December 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_12_2","unstructured":"Danish Authority of Social Services and Housing. \u00c5rsstatistik om de danske b\u00f8rnehuse [Annual statistics on the Danish Children\u2019s Advocacy Centers]. Report Danish Authority of Social Services and Housing Denmark June 2023."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pcl.2014.06.009"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/car.2515"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/apa.16017"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0025802419898338"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_17_2","unstructured":"Danish Health and Medicines Authority and Danish Society of Forensic Medicine. 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Available from: www.retsinformation.dk\/eli\/retsinfo\/2024\/9963."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_28_2","unstructured":"Bekendtg\u00f8relse om b\u00f8rnehuse [Promulgation of Children\u2019s Advocacy Centers] 2023 (DK). Ministry of Social Affairs Housing and Senior Citizens. Available from: www.retsinformation.dk\/eli\/lta\/2023\/1487."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_29_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12187-010-9094-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_30_2","unstructured":"Politidirektoratet Barne- ungdoms- og familiedirektoratet og Helsedirektoratet. Felles retningslinjer for statens barnehus [Common guidelines for the state's Children\u2019s Advocacy Centers] www.helsedirektoratet.no\/faglige-rad\/medisinske-undersokelser-i-statens-barnehus\/Statens%20barnehus%20-%20felles%20retningslinjer.pdf\/_\/attachment\/inline\/ccd68658-83ee-4cb3-9de2-8b176d180276:fd523332b09f0cf76d7b991e57dcf8da6a8c1d24\/Statens%20barnehus%20-%20felles%20retningslinjer.pdf (2016 accessed 28 April 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_31_2","unstructured":"Barnahus Network. The Barnahus Quality Standards www.barnahus.eu\/en\/the-barnahus-quality-standards\/ (2024 accessed 22 November 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_32_2","unstructured":"Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. About the Office https:\/\/ojjdp.ojp.gov\/about (2024 accessed 9 December 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_33_2","unstructured":"National Children's Alliance. 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About the Danish authority of social services and housing www.sbst.dk\/om-os\/about-the-danish-authority-of-social-services-and-housing (n.d. accessed 3 January 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_39_2","unstructured":"National Children's Alliance. Funding for CACs https:\/\/www.nationalchildrensalliance.org\/funding-for-cacs\/ (2024 accessed 10 December 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_40_2","unstructured":"Herlev Hospital. Afdeling for B\u00f8rn og Unge [Department for Children and Juvenile] www.herlevhospital.dk\/afdelinger-og-klinikker\/Afdeling-for-Boern-og-Unge\/kontakt\/Sider\/Kontaktinformation-for-fagpersoner-ved-mistanke-om-overgreb-.aspx (2024 accessed 23 December 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_41_2","unstructured":"Copenhagen University Hospital. Centre for victims of sexual assault www.rigshospitalet.dk\/english\/departments\/juliane-marie-centre\/centre-for-victims-of-sexual-assault\/Pages\/default.aspx?rhKeywords=sexual+assault (2024 accessed 23 December 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_42_2","unstructured":"Rigshospitalet. Center for Seksuelle Overgreb [Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault] www.rigshospitalet.dk\/afdelinger-og-klinikker\/julianemarie\/center-for-seksuelle-overgreb\/Sider\/default.aspx (2024 accessed 23 December 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_43_2","unstructured":"DANAK - Danish Accreditation Fund http:\/\/english.danak.dk\/ (n.d. accessed 11 December 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_44_2","unstructured":"02-9042. Inspektion: Retspatologiske unders\u00f8gelser [Inspection: Examinations at the Section of Forensic Pathology]. Available from: http:\/\/published.danak.dk\/register.asp?sag=02-9042&nohead=y."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_45_2","unstructured":"Bekendtg\u00f8relse af Sundhedsloven [Promulgation of the Health Act] 2024 (DK). Ministry of the Interior and Health. Available from: www.retsinformation.dk\/eli\/lta\/2024\/1015."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_46_2","unstructured":"Bekendtg\u00f8relse af V\u00e6rgem\u00e5lsloven [Promulgation of the Guardianship Act] 2021 (DK). Ministry of Justice. Available from: www.retsinformation.dk\/eli\/lta\/2021\/1122."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_47_2","unstructured":"Internal accredited standard Procedure for personunders\u00f8gelse af b\u00f8rn [Protocol regarding clinical forensic medical examination of children] February 2023."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_48_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/adc.45.239.13"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_49_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/adc.44.235.291"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_50_2","unstructured":"Danish Paediatric Society. V\u00e6kstkurver for h\u00f8jde og v\u00e6gt; f\u00f8dsel til 20 \u00e5r [Growth curves for height and weight; birth to 20 years] https:\/\/paediatri.dk\/images\/dokumenter\/Vejl_i_hoering_2024\/Appendix_3_V%C3%A6kstkurver.pdf (2024 accessed 28 April 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_51_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2023.106283"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_52_2","unstructured":"Danish Paediatric Society. Retningslinje: Fysisk overgreb mod b\u00f8rn og unge eller mistanke herom [Guideline: Physical abuse against children and juvenile or suspicion of this] https:\/\/paediatri.dk\/images\/dokumenter\/retningslinjer_2024\/Fysisk_overgreb_mod_boern_2021_rev._2024.pdf (2024 accessed 28 April 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_53_2","unstructured":"Danish Paediatric Society. Retningslinje: Seksuelle overgreb mod b\u00f8rn og unge eller mistanke herom; diagnostik og behandling [Guideline: Sexual abuse against children and juvenile or suspicion of this; diagnostic and treatment] https:\/\/paediatri.dk\/images\/dokumenter\/retningslinjer_2024\/Seksuelle_overgreb_juli_2024.pdf (2024 accessed 28 April 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_54_2","unstructured":"Danish Authority of Social Services. \u00c5rsstatistik om de danske b\u00f8rnehuse 2019 [Annual statistics on the Danish Childre\u0144s Advocacy Centers 2019]. 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