Adult (and adolescent) sexual assault in rural and remote Australia

Dr Rosemary Isaacs, Senior Clinical Advisor in Sexual Assault and Forensic Medicine, NSW Health, Australia

The medical management of Adult (and Adolescent) Sexual Assault requires skills which many GPs have developed in the course of their practice. However to offer a Forensic assessment and report writing requires further skills in:

• Genital and General examination for trace evidence
• Injury interpretation
• Forensic collection
• Writing an Expert certificate
• Giving evidence in Court

A broad experience in clinical medicine is an invaluable base for acquiring these forensic skills. This work is unpredictable and requires occasional court attendance.

Training across Australia for GPs and other doctors who do this work varies from a half day induction to a postgraduate qualification.

The poster will demonstrate options available in at least four states for

• Acquiring initial training- a basic syllabus

And will offer models of providing Continuing Medical Education (CME) in a format accessible to Rural Doctors

• For case review, on- the-job mentoring and specialist support

The place of photography in augmenting training and CME will be demonstrated, and the value of meetings ‘on line” or by video conference where photographic images can be discussed. (No photos of the genitals taken in cases of Sexual Assault will be used on the poster).

Contact details for each state and territory service will be on the poster.