The emergency management of a rape case in a nutshell: adolescent and adult cases

Figures & data

Figure 1: Diagrammatic explanation for penetration to any extent whatsoever into or beyond the female genitalia.

Figure 2: Acronym used to evaluate blunt acute injury.

Table 1: D1 Adult Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit²⁹

	Content	Remarks
Peel pouch 1	3 × round-tipped swabs	The water vial is to moisten the round-tipped swabs when collecting evidence from dry areas. Dry swabs are used for moist areas
	1 × water vial	Individual swabs are inserted in EasiSwab Stores
	3 × EasiSwab Stores	Each EasiSwab Store is sealed with three short tamper-evident seals as indicated on the stores
	9 × short tamper-evident seals	^*See below on suggestion for sites of evidence collection
Peel pouch 2	1 × evidence collection box	Tampons or condoms may be placed in the evidence collection box and sealed with short tamper-evident seals provided as indicated by the marks on the evidence collection box
	2 × short tamper-evident seals
Peel pouch 3	1 × large duplex brown paper bag	The large duplex brown paper bag is for the collection of panties or panties with an attached sanitary pad
	2 × long tamper-evident seals	The small bag is for the collection of a pad when separate from the underwear; the wax paper is applied to the sticky part of the sanitary pad
	1 × small duplex brown paper bag	The individual bags are sealed with the included long tamper-evident seals
	1 × piece of waxed paper
Other	Instruction leaflet	The instruction leaflet supplies information on the process
	J88 form	The J88 form (self-duplicating) is completed. The original is handed over to the investigating official and the copy is kept in the patient record file
	Collection of Forensic Evidence form	The Collection of Forensic Evidence form is completed (self-duplicating triplicate form). The original is included in the evidence collection kit, the first copy is for the patient record file and the second copy is handed to the investigating officer for inclusion in the police docket
	2 × evidence sealing bags (to bag the collection after collection)	The paper bags with the panties and sanitary pad are inserted into the smaller of the two perforated plastic bags supplied
	1 × zip seal bag with desiccants	If a tampon or condom is collected, it is also included in the smaller perforated plastic bag
		Three of the six sachets of desiccant are removed from the zip seal bag and included with the brown paper bag(s) and/or the box in the smaller plastic bag
		The large perforated plastic bag should contain the original of the evidence collection form, the EasiSwab stores with the specimens and the small plastic bag (sealed) and the remaining three desiccant sachets
		If the examiner wish to insert other evidence, such as smaller garments, it may be inserted in the bag and the option left open to the laboratory as to whether to process the evidence or not

^* The swabs should be utilised according to the best probability to obtain foreign DNA. Anatomically, after female genital penetration the cervical os and the posterior fornix are the most likely to yield positive results. If anal penetration is reported or suspected, the most important swabs are external anal and rectal swabs. Pertaining to body fluids, blood is the most likely source of DNA, followed by semen and saliva, in that sequence. Condoms may be folded in sterile gauze swabs, and should not be knotted in an effort to retain the semen, since the DNA may degrade if the specimen is not allowed to dry.

Content: three sterilised peel pouches.

Mantakits. Become a medical detective: Make a difference in people’s lives. Myriad Medical; 2010.

 Google Scholar