Crucible Rape Case Study

Question 1: Is the medical examination of a forcible rape victim necessary? When should it be conducted? What is its scope? What four specific details should be in the medical report?

A medical exam, which is most helpful if performed shortly after interviewing the victim, is vital to an investigation, as well as the discovery of evidence and specific details of the medical report. The necessity of investigations involving violent crimes assists in bringing the rapist to justice. Several factors influence an investigation concerning the events of the crime and facilitate discovering the truth for the detective. Therefore, the focus of this essay will describe the importance of having the medical examination, when the examination should be

Ideally, the exam is further effective if conducted immediately following the investigators' interview about the crime. Unfortunately, there are situations, which would cause obstacles to this time-sensitive task. Investigators rely on the medical examinations for evidence leading to locating and detaining the suspect. The main reason being that most rapists are reoffenders who will continue to rape until they are apprehended, prosecuted, and incarcerated (Kilpatrick, 2000). The medical exam is time sensitive because some evidence can deteriorate, which can never be recovered for future exams and proof. The timing of the medical exam is imperative to avoid creating another obstacle to the prosecution of the rape case; the scope of the exam involves medical treatment and collection of

Four specific details are recorded and described by the medical examiner. These four details should identify what injuries were inflicted on the victim. For example, the examiner would record physical findings such as bruises, scratches, bites, and other obvious wounds, which appear to be connected with rape. In the exam, they also record descriptions of recognizable marks of the victim such as tattoos and moles. The second detail described is locating and reporting any signs or evidence of the force of the rape, or identifying if the scratches and bruises are a result of force from the rapist. The third is the relation of the sex acts and the “finishing” of, within the guidelines of the rape statutes. In other words, the examiner must identify if the crime was officially considered a rape, or a false accusation. The injuries by force, and discovering such substances as semen, can lead the conclusion the victim was forcibly raped. The fourth detail in the examiner’s report should list and describe any evidence collected, which may help to identify the rapist. Taking samples of bodily fluids is one method used to help identify the suspect. Blood, urine, and hair samples can provide DNA of the suspect in support of the