Retrospective study of alleged sexual assault at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi

Abstract

A retrospective audit of all the rape cases reported at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi over a two year period was carried out. Out of 37 victims, 86.6% were less than 30 years old and 73.4% did not know who the assailant was. 80% of the victims reported to the hospital within 24 hours of the incident taking place and in 4 (10.8%) of the victims-vaginal swabs grew N. gonorrhoea. None of the victims opted for prosecution and none were referred for further counselling. We recommended that alleged rape victims be seen by a qualified gynaecologist or police surgeon and that they should be examined, investigated and managed by a standard protocol. PIP: This retrospective study was undertaken to identify the management problems of sexual assault cases as seen at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi where an ongoing quality assurance program attempts to maintain high standards of medical care. The study reviewed all records of sexual assault victims over a 2-year period. The results showed that all 37 victims were females and majority (89.1%) were aged between 19 and 30 years old. About 73.4% did not know their assailants, 80% reported to the hospital within 24 hours of the incident and 10.8% of the victims manifested Neisseria gonorrhea in their vaginal swabs. None of the victims made attempts to bring the assailants to justice. Although rape victims usually suffer from posttraumatic stress, none of the victims in this study were referred for further counseling. Lastly, this study recommended that sexual assault victims should be examined, investigated, and managed by a standard protocol