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Background: In the investigation of sexual assault cases, a standard practice involves examining female genitalia to identify injuries. The majority of research was done to examine findings in the child age group, but very little research was done on the adult age group. There is a need for guidelines to follow for the interpretation of adult female findings as they hold the same significance as in children. The Dammam Forensic Medicine Center conducted a retrospective chart review study in the period from 2014 to 2021 to examine adult female genital findings utilizing photographic documentation. Results: One hundred sixty-three cases involving adults between the ages of 18 and 52 were examined. Cases were divided into two groups to focus on hymenal findings that fell in the class of no expert consensus. The first group included self-defined virgins, who denied having ever experienced vaginal penetration in their entire lives, including the reported incidence, which represented 38 cases. The rest of the cases had at least a single incident of vaginal penetration. The normal genitourinary findings were found comparable to those in the child age group. All of the participants who showed notches or clefts, below the 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock location, which extends nearly to the base of the hymen, but is not a complete transection belonged to the group with a history of vaginal penetration. The three participants who showed a notch or a cleft in the hymen rim at 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock which extends nearly to the base of the hymen, but is not a complete transection belonged to the same group. Conclusions: Findings that lack expert consensus in the child age group are likely the result of injury in the study participants. This result gives valuable information on genital findings in self-identified virgin adult females, which can be utilized in conjunction with other studies to establish standards for the assessment of cases of alleged sexual assault in adult females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sexual assault is an important social issue that influences women's lives. Despite a significant increase in 2018, there is no reliable information available in the Kingdom of Bahrain about female sexual assaults. The aim of this study is to investigate the pattern of reported sexual assaults among living female victims in the Kingdom of Bahrain. All medicolegal reports of sexual assaults in living female victims from 2016 to 2020 were included. Reported cases were studied for sociodemographic data of victims, assailant data, assault circumstances, and medicolegal findings and procedures. Results: The prevalence of female sexual assault allegations was 7%. During the studied period, there were 272 cases of sexual assault overall. Most cases were in the age group 18–30 years (41.2%). In 58.1% of assaults, the assailant was the boyfriend or partner of the victim. The medicolegal examination took place within 2 days after assault in only 32%. Forensic examination of sexual assault victims revealed extragenital injuries in only 30.9% of cases. Sexual assaults involving mixed penetration occurred in 66.9% of victims, followed by vaginal penetration (30.1%), then anal penetration (2.9%). The final medicolegal opinion confirmed positive assault in 38.6% of allegations and negative assault in 32.4% of allegations, while allegations that have no firm medicolegal conclusion were 29%. Conclusions: Despite the efforts made in Bahrain, there is an underestimated problem of sexual violence against females which needs a robust multilevel strategy including the roles of education, law, and non-governmental institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rape has a high prevalence in South Africa. The collection of credible and valid forensic evidence is a key legal factor that impacts case trial outcomes. Victim behaviour around the time of the rape can impact the collection and the integrity of forensic evidence, and can have a direct effect on case progression and conviction. Despite the importance of victim behaviour, few studies have been done on the role of victims in preserving forensic evidence. This article discusses how common personal hygiene practices undertaken by rape victims after being raped can impact the quality and validity of forensic evidence. This investigation was done with the aim of elucidating the role of victims in preserving forensic evidence post rape. Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective clinical audit of all rape victims managed at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital forensic unit in South Africa from 01 January 2020 to 31 March 2022. Results: A total of 192 rape cases over the study period were included in this review. The median age of rape victims was 20 years (minimum 2 years; maximum 76 years). The majority (n = 178; 92.7%) of the victims were female. About 44.8% (n = 86) of the victims reported that they had urinated post-rape and prior to forensic examination, 20.8% (n = 40) had changed their clothing, 8.3% (n = 16) had showered, 6.8% (n = 13) had bathed, 4.2% (n = 8) had douched, and only 1.0% (n = 2) had defecated. Only 44 (22.9%) of the victims reported to have ingested alcohol or spiked drinks before the rape. Conclusion: These findings suggest that some rape victims engaged in personal hygiene practices that could militate against forensic evidence preservation. This finding, therefore, indicates the need for public awareness about ways to preserve evidence to the greatest extent possible after an incident of rape. Contribution: We provide simple guidelines for victims on the preservation of forensic evidence following rape and before detailed forensic medical examination and evidence collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report presents the tragic death of a 56-year-old Slovenian woman who sustained fatal injuries from a stray firework during a New Year's Eve celebration in January 2024. The firework, launched by a relative, struck the woman in the right eye, causing extensive cranial and cerebral trauma. Despite immediate medical intervention, including attempted resuscitation, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The autopsy revealed severe damage, including fractures extending from the right orbital cavity to the occipital region and a penetrating brain injury affecting multiple regions of the brain. The case is complicated by the removal of the firework from the injury site before the arrival of emergency services, making the reconstruction of the exact sequence of events challenging. The findings emphasize the devastating consequences of fireworks-related injuries and the unique forensic challenges they present in determining the precise cause of death. • Fireworks injuries strain public health and economies, urging a comprehensive assessment of their impact. • Accidents highlight the need for continued research, education, and prevention despite current safety guidelines. • A tragic incident in Slovenia underscores dangers, emphasizing the call for reevaluation and enhanced safety measures. • Balancing cultural traditions with public safety is vital, seeking ways to reduce injuries while preserving practices. • Tragic incidents prompt a reexamination of public health, advocating for better safety measures and a safer society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is pervasive in all societies. It can affect men, women and children. Every clinician will come into regular contact with sexual violence victims in one form or another. This review gives a brief overview of the considerations that should be given when dealing with an acute presentation as well as considering the other ways victims of sexual violence may present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanisation, a steady increase in the number of vehicles, speeding, negligence in road safety, and other factors have led to the inevitable worldwide growth of road traffic accidents involving pedestrians. According to the 'Global Status Report on Road Safety' released by the World Health Organization, road traffic collisions are one of the leading causes of death for people of all ages, with approximately 1.35 million road fatality deaths occurring globally each year. Figures from the report also highlight that a large part of road deaths involves pedestrians as the most vulnerable road users. Therefore, forensic examination of vehicle–pedestrian collisions has become increasingly important in the detection, investigation and reduction of road casualties and permanent development of this discipline is urgently needed. Thus, this article aims to review the capability and effectiveness of forensic examination in tackling road fatalities and explores the most important aspects of this discipline, such as nature of a vehicle–pedestrian collision, common issues resolved by this type of examination and typical physical evidence used in the reconstruction of vehicle–pedestrian collisions. Moreover, the paper outlines the latest advances and approaches in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is a crime that affects people of all genders. While focus is frequently on female survivors, it is crucial to acknowledge that males also experience sexual violence and to ensure that gender-sensitive services are available to all survivors. Understanding the prevalence of, and factors associated with, sexual violence against males is a critical first step in addressing this issue. We aim to address the lack of data in relation to sexual violence against males. A cross-sectional study of all male attendances at 6 Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATU) in the Republic of Ireland over a 6-year period and, where applicable, comparison with corresponding female attendances. There were 381 male attendances with an average age of 28.5 years over the study period, representing 7 % of all SATU patients. There was a 24 % increase in male attendances during the study period. 39.1 % presented within 24 h of the assault. 61.9 % reported the crime to the police. Employment status included 37.3 % employed, 24.9 % unemployed, and 26.2 % students, with 86.7 % being Irish nationals. Most incidents occurred on weekdays (53.3 %) and at night (56.7 %). Referrals were primarily from police (55.9 %), and psychological support was provided in 62.3 % of cases. Alcohol (60.4 %) and illicit drugs (20.5 %) were reported before assaults. 18.6 % suspected drug-facilitated assaults. Male assailants constituted 90.1 %, with 13.9 % involving multiple assailants. Male attenders were significantly more likely than females to be assaulted in their assailant's home and to be assaulted by more than one assailant. They were significantly less likely than females to report the crime to the police or to have consumed alcohol. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest case series of male patients attending a sexual assault treatment service to be published in the international literature. Male patients are a distinct group that are increasingly accessing SATU services. Significant differences exist between male and female patients' reported experiences of sexual violence. Knowledge of these factors will support appropriate tailoring of treatment & service provision, prevention and awareness strategies to help modify the impact and reduce the incidence of sexual violence in this cohort. • Sexual violence against males is distinctly different from females who attend Sexual Assault Treatment Units. • Male attenders were significantly more likely than female attenders to be the victim of a multiple assailant assault. • Male attenders were significantly less likely than female attenders to report the crime to the police. • Male attenders were significantly less likely be assaulted by an intimate partner when compared with female attenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A series of studies suggest that non-Hispanic White women have significantly more injuries than non-Hispanic Black women after sexual assault and consensual sexual intercourse. One explanation for this difference is that the degree of skin protection may vary as skin mechanics and skin pigmentation vary. The aim of the study was to determine the association among genital-anal injury, skin color, skin viscoelasticity and skin hydration in women following consensual sexual intercourse when controlling for age, smoking history, body mass index (BMI), sun exposure, and health status.Procedures: We employed a prospective cohort study design to enroll women 21 years of age or older at two study sites. They underwent two data collection sessions, baseline and follow-up after consensual sexual intercourse. Baseline genital-anal injury identification occurred with a standard forensic examination (direct visualization, nuclear staining with toluidine blue contrast, and colposcopy examination) and measurements of other variables (skin color, skin viscoelasticity, skin hydration, age, smoking history, body mass index [BMI], sun exposure, and health status). Participants were then asked to have consensual sexual intercourse with a male partner of their choice and to return for a second forensic examination for injury detection. Genital-anal injury was regressed on skin color, skin viscoelasticity, skin hydration, age, smoking history, BMI, sun exposure, and health status.Findings: We enrolled 341 participants, 88 non-Hispanic White (25.8%), 54 non-Hispanic Black (15.8%), 190 Hispanic/Latina (55.7), and 9 Other Identities (2.6%). At baseline the genital-anal injury prevalence was 57.77% and at follow-up after consensual sexual intercourse, injury prevalence was 72.73%. External genital injury prevalence was associated with increased L* (lightness) values (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.98, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.03, 4.04) and decreased skin elasticity (AOR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93, 0.99) at baseline. Increased skin hydration was associated with a significantly higher frequency of external, internal, anal, and total genital-anal injuries (Adjusted Rate Ratio [ARR] > 1.27) at follow-up. Also at the follow-up examination, Hispanic/Latina participants had significantly lower external genital and total genital-anal injury prevalence and frequency as compared to non-Hispanic White participants (AOR < 0.40).Conclusions: Our findings provide qualified support for the importance of skin color during the forensic examination. Women with lighter skin tones may have skin that is more easily injured than women with darker tones. In contrast, external genital injuries may be more easily identified in women with light as compared to dark skin, a situation that is important in both the health care and criminal justice systems. Additionally, women with decreased viscoelasticity and increased hydration may be more easily injured. These findings support the need to develop forensic procedures that are effective in people across the range of skin colors and to interpret forensic findings considering the innate properties of the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evaluation of an index case of child abuse necessitates risk assessment of other children who could be vulnerable to abuse from the same perpetrator/s.Objective: To determine the effectiveness of the addition of a prompt to the standard clinical pro forma used for the assessment of new referrals to a child and adolescent sexual assault treatment service in terms of impact upon detection of other at risk children.Participants and Setting: All referrals to a Child and Adolescent Sexual Assault Treatment Service, Galway, West Ireland.Methods: Retrospective chart review of all children assessed between September 2016 and March 2017. Intervention initiated on September 1st, 2017. Prospective chart review of all children assessed between September 2017 and March 2018. Chart reviews established whether potential risk to siblings, and other close child contacts, of the index case had been adequately considered.Results: Comparing pre and post intervention groups, documentation of children at risk significantly increased from 70% to 96% (p = 0.0124). Cases in which a letter was sent to social services regarding other "at risk" children also significantly increased from 50% to 92% (p = 0.0005). There was a change in the percentage of "at risk" children examined or planned for examination, from 66% to 84%, however that was not statistically significant (p = 0.80).Conclusions: Introduction of a simple prompt within the standard clinical pro forma had a significant positive impact upon clinicians' consideration of other "at risk" children. We suggest that other services consider including a similar section in their own pro forma documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sexual violence is pervasive in all societies. It can affect men, women and children. Every clinician will come into regular contact with sexual violence victims in one form or another. This review gives a brief overview of the considerations that should be given when dealing with an acute presentation as well as considering the other ways victims of sexual violence may present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, government enforced lockdowns were one measure introduced to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. The impact of these social movement restrictions on victims of sexual assault and their access of sexual assault services needed clarity. This study aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on: Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) attendance; characteristics of clients; characteristics of alleged perpetrators and nature of sexual assaults. Routinely collected data from the Saint Mary's SARC in the North West of England over two financial years, April 2019–March 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and April 2020–March 2021 (during COVID-19), were analysed. Compared to the pre COVID-19 year, monthly SARC attendance for children and adults decreased during national lockdowns and increased as restrictions lifted. Ethnicity of clients was significantly different during COVID-19 with more South Asian adults and more bi-racial children attending. Attendance of adults aged over 57 years also significantly increased during COVID-19. A significant increase in adults meeting alleged perpetrators online and a significant decrease in alleged perpetrators being a sex worker client were also identified. Finally, a significant increase in not-recorded data for health characteristics of adult and child clients was noted. While this study has illuminated some changes in the vulnerability profile of clients attending SARC during COVID-19 and its associated lockdowns, it has also highlighted shortcomings in changes to usual care introduced in the challenging and changing context of a global pandemic. These findings in parallel usefully recommend areas in need of service improvement. • Attendance decreased during lockdowns and increased as restrictions lifted. • Attendance of clients differed significantly during COVID19; ethnicity and age. • During COVID19; significantly more adults met their alleged perpetrators online. • Significantly less alleged perpetrators were sex worker clients during COVID19. • Significant increases in not-recorded data highlighted shortcomings due to COVID19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.Aims& Objectives: To examine the frequency and severity of acute concomitant health concerns at the time of forensic examination following an allegation of recent sexual assault in post-pubertal (age >13 years) individuals, through a review of existing literature. Concomitant health concerns considered in this review include ano-genital and extra-genital injury, and acute substance intoxication.Methods: Four online databases (PubMed, Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Embase) were systematically searched with key terms regarding the topics of sexual assault, forensic examination, injury and intoxication. Articles were assessed for relevance based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results: Of 562 titles, 53 full-text publications met the inclusion criteria. Frequency of ano-genital and extra-genital injury was highly variable across studies, and severity was inconsistently assessed and rarely reported. Medical treatment or transfer to acute care settings was more commonly required for extra-genital injuries. Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) was found to represent an increasingly frequent feature of sexual assault cases. NFS complainants often exhibit signs and symptoms of potentially lethal complications requiring urgent review in acute care settings. Substance use around the time of sexual assault was commonly reported by patients and detected in toxicological screens, and could have significant implications on patient and staff safety at the time of examination.Conclusion: The findings of this review highlight the clinical significance of acute concomitant health concerns following an allegation of recent sexual assault. Ano-genital and extra-genital injury, NFS and both voluntary and involuntary substance use may be more frequent and severe than previously understood. Further investigation into the assessment and management of these acute health needs is required to elucidate their clinical significance and inform evidence-based care for complainants of sexual assault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver is the most common organ to get injured in cases of blunt force trauma to the abdomen (BFTA). It is the 2nd commonest organ after brain to sustain injuries out of all the trauma related fatalities. However, the literature about contre-coup injuries to the liver due to BFTA is scarce in-spite of the high mortality rates seen out of injury to this particular organ.Purpose: The authors intended to systematize the characteristic morphogenesis of the contre-coup injuries of the liver on the basis of the patho-mechanics involved in various types of BFTA.Methodology: One hundred and sixty three cases of BFTA were identified, and interpretation was attempted for the contre-coup rupture of the liver seen in twenty out of all the trauma related fatalities that presented for post-mortem examination during the study period. However, the mechanics of the pattern of the rupture injuries to the liver were indiscernible. This motivated the authors to conduct the comparative characterization of injuries to the liver by experimental simulation of BFTA after necessary permission via inflicting pre-calculated forces on unclaimed cadavers.Results: The patterns of contre-coup rupture/s of liver were established in all the twenty out of one sixty-three cases of BFTA. The rupture depicted patterns of injury in the situations of - 1) strong hits with a limited surface trauma, 2) very strong hits with a generalized surface trauma, 3) and collision with a solid surface resulting due to fall onto the side of the abdomen. The causative mechanism discerned was deformation of the liver, followed by its parenchymal rupture due to the shear and strain types of force/s consequent upon tissue compression. The minimum force and energy of impact required for the liver to rupture was estimated to be 2000 N and 141.5 J.Conclusion: This series of the simulation experiments revealed two variants of liver rupture in the contre-coup impact zone. The pattern of injury was maintained in cases, those studied at post-mortem examinations, but the relief ruptures were found to vary depending upon the overall mechanics of the traumatic forces involved in the simulation experiments performed on the cadavers. The anti-shock ruptures were formed during shock trauma, and shockproof ruptures were not seen in cases of underlying compressive forces. The morphogenetic characterization of the relief rupture surface of the liver was also delineated in relation to its surface orientation to the spine on the basis of the terms "large" and "very large" depicting the quantum of force/s delivered out of an impact or blow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2005 a serious case of child sexual abuse from the region of Southern Denmark was revealed to the Danish public. The case became known as the 'Tønder-case'. It was the first in a series of 4-5 serious cases of child maltreatment in Denmark, cases which spurred heavy public debate. In this study all the cases of child sexual abuse referred for forensic examination in a 12 year period, a total of 368 cases, were systematically evaluated. In order to identify any trends that could be correlated to an impact of the 'Tønder-case', cases from 2000 to 2002 and cases from 2009 to 2011 underwent an in-depth analysis. In the 12 year period there was a significant increase in numbers of cases. In the subgroups, comprised of 113 cases meeting the inclusion criteria, we found a significant increase in the frequency of cases involving incest and systematic abuse, as well as an uncorrelated increase in the frequency of cases where children were placed in foster care prior to the examination. These results were countered by a significant decrease in the number cases police reported child sexual abuse in the same period. The possible impact that cases like the 'Tønder-case' and the following press coverage may have on disclosure and the handling of this type of case by authorities is discussed, as well as further perspectives of extensive press coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is pervasive in all societies. It can affect men, women and children. Every clinician will come into regular contact with sexual violence victims in one form or another. This review gives a brief overview of the considerations that should be given when dealing with an acute presentation as well as considering the other ways victims of sexual violence may present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Horizonte Médico is the property of Universidad de San Martin de Porres and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Horizonte Médico is the property of Universidad de San Martin de Porres and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Horizonte Médico is the property of Universidad de San Martin de Porres and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Individuals who have mental disabilities are more vulnerable to sexual abuse than the general population and even less likely to report the offence. Furthermore they face greater barriers if they wish to seek help, support or prosecution. Where abuse is alleged or suspected, a complainant with a mental disability will often have the capacity to decide whether they wish to undergo intimate forensic examination. However, in cases where the individual truly lacks capacity it must be decided on an case to case basis without assumption or preconception whether such an examination is truly in their best interests. This aim of this review is to discuss sexual offences against adults with mental disabilities and the identification and management of these individuals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For years the practice of examining fragments of single fibres separated from textile products and transferred onto other (foreign) surfaces has been applied in order to establish a link between a person or persons and an object or the scene of a criminal event. These fibres are imperceptible or barely perceptible to the naked eye and can only be revealed through the use of certain techniques of securing such material. The evidential value of transferred fibre traces, possibly coming from a known source and recovered in the case of a specific criminal event, depends on a number of factors. The particular circumstances of the event, the way in which evidence is gathered at the crime scene, the precision of laboratory tests, the colour and type of fibres recovered, and the measurable effects of destructive processes can all enhance or lessen the evidential value of such material. In this publication, the results of multi-aspect research conducted in the area of forensic examination of fibres are presented, concerning questions relating to the interpretation of analytical results. This research has helped to illustrate how important trace fibre evidence can be in clarifying the circumstances of a wide range of crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to report on the prevalence of genital findings documented in women attending a forensic examination following an allegation of recent sexual assault. A secondary aim was to investigate for any associations between genital findings and variables related to population demographics and clinical factors.Study Design: A retrospective review of clinical records was undertaken for 593 women, aged between 17 and 45 years of age, who underwent a forensic examination within 72 h following an alleged sexual assault at the Pohutukawa clinic, adult Sexual Abuse Assessment and Treatment Service (SAATS) in Auckland, New Zealand over a four-year period. Statistical analysis to examine for any associations between any documented genital findings and subject variables was performed.Results: The key finding was that 66.4% (394/593) of the women had a normal genital examination. Of the 182 women with genital findings the presence of skin disruption and/or bruising was noted in 21.1% (125/593) and non-specific findings in 9.6% (57/593). 17 women were not included as the genital examination was incomplete. For 9.5% (56/593) of women the presence of abnormal genital skin was documented. From the adjusted odds ratios obtained by multivariate analysis there was a statistically significant association between the presence of genital findings and abnormal skin condition (OR 3.13, p = 0.0004).Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the majority of women seen within 72 h of an alleged sexual assault had a normal genital examination. Given the strength of the association between the presence of genital findings and skin condition, we recommend that documentation of the genital skin condition should become a routine part of a forensic examination following sexual assault. This is particularly important if genital findings are present, in order to present the full complexity of clinical examination findings to the court and provide an expert opinion regarding the limitations of attributing causation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several operating systems provide a central logging service which collects event messages from the kernel and applications, filters them and writes them into log files. Since more than a decade such a system service exists in Microsoft Windows NT. Its file format is well understood and supported by forensic software. Microsoft Vista introduces an event logging service which entirely got newly designed. This confronts forensic examiners and software authors with unfamiliar system behavior and a new, widely undocumented file format. This article describes the history of Windows system loggers, what has been changed over time and for what reason. It compares Vista log files in their native binary form and in a textual form. Based on the results, this paper for the first time publicly describes the key-elements of the new log file format and the proprietary binary encoding of XML. It discusses the problems that may arise during daily work. Finally it proposes a procedure for how to recover information from log fragments. During a criminal investigation this procedure was successfully applied to recover information from a corrupted event log. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Current tools to analyze memory dumps of systems running Microsoft Windows usually build on the concept of enumerating lists maintained by the kernel to keep track of processes, threads and other objects. Therefore they will frequently fail to detect objects that are already terminated or which have been hidden by Direct Kernel Object Manipulation techniques. This article analyzes the in-memory structures which represent processes and threads. It develops search patterns which will then be used to scan the whole memory dump for traces of said objects, independent from the aforementioned lists. As demonstrated by a proof-of-concept implementation this approach could reveal hidden and terminated processes and threads, under some circumstances even after the system under examination has been rebooted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explains some of the issues that prevent the easy detection of Host Protected Areas on IDE drives and discusses a variety of methods which may enable examiners to reveal what may be overlooked evidence. We consider some exploitation methods and include a brief examination of EnCase 5.01 image capture as an example. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents strengths and shortcomings of WinHex Specialist Edition (version 11.25 SR-7) in the context of the overall digital forensics process, focusing on its ability to preserve and examine data on storage media. No serious problems were found during non-exhaustive testing of the tool''s ability to create a forensic image of a disk, and to verify the integrity of an image. Generally accepted data sets were used to test WinHex''s ability to reliably and accurately interpret file date–time stamps, recover deleted files, and search for keywords. The results of these tests are summarized in this paper. Certain advanced examination capabilities were also evaluated, including the creation of custom templates to interpret EXT2/EXT3 file systems. Based on this review, several enhancements are proposed. In addition to these results, this paper demonstrates a systematic approach to evaluating similar forensic tools. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Digital investigators require specialized knowledge and tools to process network traffic as a source of evidence. Existing open source tools can be used for basic tasks in simple cases but lack the functionality of commercial tools that are specifically designed to process network traffic as evidence. These commercial tools reduce the amount of time and specialized technical knowledge required to examine large quantities of network traffic but even these tools are lacking from a forensic standpoint. This paper discusses the strengths and shortcomings of existing tools in the context of the overall digital investigation process—specifically the collection, documentation, preservation, examination and analysis stages. In addition to highlighting the capabilities of different tools, this paper familiarizes digital investigators with different aspects of network traffic as a source of evidence. Based on this discussion, a set of requirements is proposed for tools used to process network traffic as evidence in the hope that existing developers will enhance the capabilities of their tools to address the weaknesses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Women who wake from sleep during sexual assault commonly report confusion and disorientation. Confusion and disorientation, with impaired decision making after waking, are symptoms of 'sleep inertia', and part of the normal transition from sleep to full wakefulness which is maximal in the minutes after wakening and can be prolonged. In this study of 305 adult females (median age 26, range 18-68), who presented for a sexual assault forensic medical examination, 38 (12%) (median age 27, range 18-51) woke to find sexual acts already in progress. For 25 of these women (25/38 for 66%), an act of penile-vaginal penetration was already occurring when the woman woke. Of the 38 women (12%) who woke during the sexual assault, several had factors known to enhance the impairment of sleep inertia including forced arousal (38/38, 100%) and age under 25 (15/38, 39%). 17 (17/38 for 45%) of these women who woke had consumed varying amounts of alcohol prior to sleep and these 17 woke fully during the assault and then stayed awake. A further 16 women, (16/38 for 42%) woke during the sexual assault but returned to sleep during or after the assault, and all these 16 gave a history of intoxication by drugs or alcohol prior to sleep. Importantly 5, (5/38 for 13%) of the women who woke during the assault had consumed no intoxicating substances. A further 68 (23%) of the 305 women, (median age 26, range 18-58) had no memory on waking of the alleged sexual assault despite having other reasons to believe that a sexual assault had occurred. Forensic medical examiners can assist both the justice process, and patient care, by considering the possibility of sleep inertia among victims who report disorientation and slow or confused decision making on waking during a sexual assault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessment of genital-anal (GA) injuries following sexual assault promotes health and assists prosecutors to build a case. The pattern of injuries may help differentiate between consensual and non-consensual intercourse, bolster the survivors' credibility, and increase prosecutions in sexual assault cases.Objectives: To identify the constellation of G-A injury-related characteristics that most effectively discriminated between consensual sexual intercourse and sexual assault in females when controlling for intercourse-related variables.Methods: We employed a comparative study with two groups: a prospective cohort group with consensual participants and a group derived from an existing sexual assault registry. In the prospective cohort, we performed a sexual assault forensic examination at baseline and following consensual sexual intercourse with females ≥21 years. We compared their injury patterns to the injury records of females ≥21 years who were sexual assaulted.Results: We enrolled a sample of 834 females: 528 consensual (63.3%) participants and 306 non-consensual (36.7%) registry cases. After controlling for race/ethnicity, age, and time between intercourse and examination, logistic regression analyses showed that the presence of an external genital tear increased the odds of non-consensual intercourse more than two times (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.28-5.56). Logistic regression analyses also showed that the odds of non-consensual sexual intercourse were significantly greater with a lower prevalence and frequency of external and internal genital redness, lack of condom use and lubrication, and presence of anal penetration. Latent class analysis identified high and low G-A injury prevalence subgroups among both consensual and non-consensual samples. One subset of results emerged that may be indicative of non-consensual as compared to consensual intercourse: a higher prevalence of external genital and anal tears.Conclusion: External genital tears occurred more frequently in the non-consensual sample and increased the odds of non-consensual intercourse more than two times. Anal tears, swelling, and ecchymosis and anal penetration were markers for non-consensual intercourse and should increase suspicion for lack of consent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study we revised and effectively implemented the sexual assault forensic examination (SAFE) kit used in the Netherlands to improve the forensic investigation of sexual offences. The former version was developed over a decade ago, and since then new and advanced methods have been introduced in forensic research that warrant revision of the SAFE kit. We briefly describe the steps that were undertaken, the products that were chosen and/or developed and the benefit(s) regarding the former version of the SAFE kit. Collaboration and dialogue between the parties involved were of great importance during both the revision and the implementation process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]