The impact of COVID-19 on clinical forensic medicine and forensic psychiatry: A literature review.

:The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant challenges in clinical forensic medicine and forensic psychiatry and emphasised the need for sustainable service delivery. Both fields faced difficulties in maintaining services due to COVID-19 precautions and limited referrals. This review examined the changes in forensic practices, aiming to understand their impact and learn from them to inform future strategies.

Acute concomitant injury and intoxication in complainants of recent sexual assault: A review.

Background: Sexual assault remains a highly prevalent crime worldwide and has the potential to cause a number of short and longer-term health sequelae. Complainants of recent sexual assault may undergo forensic and/or medical examinations for medical treatment or evidence collection, or both. However, the frequency and severity of acute health concerns requiring medical intervention in these patients at the time of examination is not well understood and has implications for their clinical care and safety.

HIV contact notification in sexual assault cases-ethical, legal, and procedural challenges.

HIV notification of sexual contacts is an essential public health aspect of reducing transmission. This process can be challenging at times, and even more so in instances of alleged sexual assault. This article highlights the multiple complexities associated with HIV contact notification in sexual assault cases when the complainant is HIV positive, and their sexual contact (the alleged perpetrator) is in police custody.

Non-fatal strangulation and COVID-19 common symptoms and signs: considerations for medical and forensic assessment.

Emerging evidence suggests that an onset or escalation of interpersonal violence has been occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among persons in intimate or familial relationships. Strangulation (or neck compression) is a common form of interpersonal violence and can result in serious adverse health outcomes, including death. The identification and attribution of injuries from non-fatal strangulation are complex, as there may be an absence of external signs of injury and their appearance may be delayed by many days.

Sexual assault examination and COVID-19: risk reduction strategies in conducting forensic medical examinations of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 positive patient in Melbourne hospital hot zones.

The rapidly evolving context of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated profound modifications to the provision of health care services on a global scale. The concomitant requirements of lockdowns and social isolation has had marked ramifications for vulnerable individuals at risk of violence. This ripple effect of the pandemic has been observed globally.