Rape and forensic gynaecology

When you have completed this course you will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the law relating to sexual offences and the current issues affecting disclosure and reporting of sexual assault
• provide appropriate management when someone reports that they have experienced a sexual assault
• describe the basic principles of a forensic medical examination
• to be able to document findings and take early evidence where necessary
• describe injury types using appropriate forensic terminology
• demonstrate knowledge of the long-term consequences arising from sexual assault

Dr Nisha Krishnan MRCOG (2013, 2017, 2019, 2023)

Dr Krishnan is a consultant obstetrician with a special interest in high risk obstetrics, perinatal mental health and trauma informed care. She has a special interest in Forensic Gynaecology after she took 1 year out of programme for a clinical fellow post at The Havens (London-based sexual assault referral centre) and continued to do out of hours work alongside her training. Having worked as a consultant obstetrician for the last 5 years, has resumed her work in forensic gynaecology in Scotland. She currently works as a sexual offences examiner at the West of Scotland Sexual assault referral centre (Archway). In the past, she has also volunteered at Freedom From Torture, an organisation for the survivors of torture, where she worked as a team assessment doctor, as well as produced medico-legal reports for survivors of torture. This gave her the experience of working in a multidisciplinary team dealing with both the physical and psychological sequelae following sexual assault and trauma.

This course is intended to help clinicians gain core knowledge for O&G training and the MRCOG examinations.

UK National guidelines on the management of adult and adolescent complainants of sexual assault. BASSH

Management of adult patients who attend emergency departments after sexual assault and/or Rape. RCEM