There is a dedicated paediatric service based at Exeter SARC for children and young people up to their 18 th birthday. This service provides forensic medical assessments for children and young people from across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly following recent sexual assault. The Exeter SARC also provides non-recent medical assessments of children and young people from Devon, Torbay and Plymouth following non-recent sexual assault.
The paediatric service ensure that every referral for a child or young person is reviewed by the clinical team, to make sure that all health needs are addressed. They consider a broad range of support services for children and ensure appropriate onward referrals to relevant services, including the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor ISVA service. A forensic medical assessment includes considering the therapeutic needs of the child as well as collecting forensic evidence.
The assessment may include:. Many people worry about children having a forensic medical assessment; however it is well recognised that children, and their families, find the process to be a very positive and therapeutic experience. It allows them the chance to discuss any concerns they have, receive reassurance as appropriate and access any medical care they may need as a result of a sexual assault. You can watch a video about what happens during the medical examination of a child here.
If a sexual assault ongoing abuse has occurred within the last 10 days you should telephone the paediatric service on to discuss with a clinician whether a forensic medical examination may be required. If a forensic medical assessment is undertaken, we will always offer a referral to the ISVA service as part of our assessment.
If a sexual assault or most recent incident of sexual abuse occurred more than 10 days ago, we recommend you refer to the paediatric service using the online referral form.
