Admissibility of clinical indicators for the detection of child sexual abuse inforensic contexts

What is it about?

This paper tries to highlight the risk to judges and courts, to assess uncritically psychological expert reports relating to the assessment of psychological injury in cases of child sexual abuse (CSA). From the literature review have been identified serious limitations in the use of clinical indicators to detect CSA, that have emerged in the context of health care. The underlying theoretical model, and thoroughness of the studies on the psychological consequences associated with CSA are questioned. Also, some methods of clinical examination, extrapolated to forensic context, and advised against because of their poor reliability and validity, are discussed.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

It concludes by pointing out the inadequacy of moving models and procedures of the expert clinical-care context to forensic, and the need of demanding technical requirements to forensic reports.