Making a difference. Invited commentary on … Effects of domestic violence and sexual abuse on mental health

Fiona L. Mason
2008 Psychiatric bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists  
When I qualified in 1987, I was appalled to learn that the vast majority of the on-call forensic medical examiners who examined women subjected to serious sexual assault and rape in the Metropolitan Police area were men. I was subsequently involved in the establishment of an on-call rota of women doctors who were prepared to examine victims of sexual violence. Nowadays, services deliver holistic non-judgemental intervention, particularly in sexual assault centres. These centres are specialist
more » ... rvices providing 24-h forensic examinations, other medical and psychological services and aftercare in a secure and sensitive setting (Lovett et al, 2004; Kelly et al, 2008). This model is now being extended.
doi:10.1192/pb.bp.108.022319 fatcat:ukj6tfz5nbf5fd3euth6awaqni