Chapter 26: Sexual Jurisprudence

**Sexual jurisprudence**

A subject subdivision in forensic medicine wherein the medical knowledge is applied to derive justice in cases of sexual offenses.

**Sexual jurisprudence**

It deals with the medicolegal aspects of virginity, impotency, sterility, artificial insemination, pregnancy, abortion, delivery, etc. on one hand, and various types of sexual offenses and sexual perversions, on the other hand.

**virgin**

A female is called a **______** if she has never experienced any sexual intercourse.

Hymen

a membranous diaphragm at the vaginal introitus, is a thin fold (about 1 mm) of mucous membrane derived from the posterior vaginal wall, with an anterior opening.

**Annular Hymen**

Hymen with an oval central opening.

**Crescentic Hymen**

Hymen with a semilunar central opening.

**Vertical Hymen**

Hymen with a vertical slit like opening.

**Septate Hymen**

Hymen with two lateral openings partitioned by a bridge of hymenal tissue.

**Cribriform Hymen**

Hymen with multiple small opening.

**hymen examination kit**

Comprises a set of glass rods of varying sizes with a spherical bulbous expansion at one end.

Hymen examination

______ is an essential step in the examination of a rape victim.

Carunculae Hymnales

The torn segments gradually become thicker and smaller in size and appear as small fleshy pyramidal projections

**Defloration**

**_____** signifies loss of virginity.

**Impotence / Erectile Dysfunction**

defined as inability to perform sexual intercourse.

**Sterility**

means inability to procreate

**Frigidity**

refers to a woman who fails to respond to sexual stimulation.

**Hysterical fits**

in this condition, any attempt to perform sexual intercourse will result in severe fits. This may be because of hatred of the male sex, fear, or excessive passion.

**Vaginismus**

in this condition any attempt to perform sexual intercourse results in severe spasmodic contraction

**Primary vaginismus**

refers to the experience of vaginismus with first time sexual intercourse is attempted.

**Secondary vaginismus**

refers to the experience of vaginismus a little later in life, after a period of pain-free normal sexual intercourse and typically following temporary pelvic problems.

**Artificial Insemination**

Artificial introduction of semen into vagina, cervix or uterus to bring about pregnancy is termed **______.**

**Artificial insemination homologous**

It is when the semen of the husband is used.

**Artificial insemination donor**

It is where the semen of some other person is used.

Test Tube Baby

In this process, the ovum of the wife is removed from the ovary through the abdominal wall and is fertilized by the sperm of her own husband in a laboratory.

Dr. Steptoe

He pioneered the birth of the first test tube baby in Bolton, England in the mid-1970s.

**Surrogate Mother**

a woman who bears a child either by artificial insemination from the husband of a sterile woman or by implantation of in vitro fertilized ovum at the blastocyst stage.

**Surrogate Mother**

A mother by substitute

**Sterilization**

a procedure to render a person sterile but without any interference to potency or sexual function.

**Compulsory Sterilization**

This is performed by an order of the State on eugenic grounds for those who are mentally defective and as a punishment for those sexual criminals.

vasectomy

Permanent methods are _____ in males and tubectomy in females, and exposure to deep X-rays of gonads in both.

tubectomy

Permanent methods are vasectomy in males and _____ in females, and exposure to deep X-rays of gonads in both.

**Pregnancy**

a phase in the reproductive period of a woman which results as a consequence of fertilization of an ovum by a sperm.

Quickening

a peculiar sensation of fetal movement felt by the mother.

**Hegar’s sign**

the characteristic softening of the isthmus of the uterus, detectable by manual examination, from the sixth week.

**Braxton Hick’s sign**

an intermittent uterine contraction, seen only after the fourth month.

**Uterine souffle**

a blowing sound synchronous with a maternal pulse, due to the blood circulation through the enlarged tortuous uterine arteries heard by auscultation of the abdomen from the sixth month onwards.

**Ballottement**

a technique of feeling for a movable object in the body, esp confirmation of pregnancy by feeling the rebound of the fetus following a quick digital tap on the wall of the uterus.

*Fetal movements*

these are felt by keeping the palpating hand on the abdomen from the fourth month and also seen by naked eye examination from the fifth month

*Fetal heart sound*

forms an important and definite sign of pregnancy, heard from 18 to 20 weeks.

fetal skeleton

Shadow of the ______ in the radiograph and ultrasound scanning of the abdomen is diagnostic of pregnancy, which is usually seen from the 15th to 16th weeks.

**Pseudocyesis**

a condition wherein a woman who has no issues nearing menopause and intensely desiring an offspring, presents with all subjective signs of pregnancy including abdominal distension which may be due to deposition of fat, ascites, or tumor.

viable child

A child born at or after 210 days of pregnancy is considered a _____, as it is capable of independent survival outside the mother’s uterus.

**Delivery**

refers to the birth of the child, on completion of 280 days of pregnancy (full term).

**Affiliation cases**

these are cases wherein woman having illicit sexual intimacy with a man may become pregnant, and deliver a child and then sue him for maintenance of the child.

Premature delivery

Occurs if delivery occurs earlier than 280 days

postmature delivery

Occurs if delivery occurs after than 280 days

**Paternity**

the ‘fatherhood’ of a child.

**Parental likeness**

a child may resemble the parents in features, figures, complexion, gestures, gait, the color of iris and hair, mannerisms, etc. and with this, we infer that the child is of such a parent.

**Atavism**

at times the child may not resemble the parents but grandparents.

**Superfecundation**

This is a condition wherein fertilization of two ova, discharged in the same ovulatory period, occurs by different acts of coitus resulting in the birth of twins.

**Superfoetation**

This is a condition wherein fertilization of two ova, discharged in two different ovulatory periods, occurs by two different acts of coitus, resulting in twins at birth, one of which will be always older than the other.

**legitimate child**

A child born during the continuance of a legal marriage is considered a **______**.

**illegitimaten child**

A child born to a couple who is not married legally is considered to be _______

**Natural Sexual Offences**

All such physical acts executed within the order of nature’s accordance in furtherance of sexual gratification are considered natural sexual offenses.

**Unnatural Sexual Offences**

All such physical acts executed against the order of nature’s accordance in furtherance of sexual gratification are considered as unnatural sexual offenses.

**Sexual Deviations**

All such physical acts executed which are not only against the order of nature’s accordance but also against human biology in furtherance of sexual gratification are considered sexual deviations.

**Penetration**

**_____** is sufficient to constitute the sexual intercourse necessary to the offense of rape.

**Dried Stains**

Application of absorbent swabs moistened in distilled water or normal saline.

**Wet Stains**

Under direct visualisation any liquid secretions in the body cavities can be collected by aspiration or insertion of dry absorbent swabs

**Ultraviolet Light Scanning**

Helps in identifying occult semen stains. Dried seminal stains fluoresce under UV illumination.

**Barberios’ test**

Detects the presence of spermine, one of the constituents of semen.

**Fluorescent test**

Detects the presence of choline, one of the constituents of semen.

**Motile sperm**

 It is best accomplished when the examination is done at the time of collection of the evidence.

**Nonmotile sperm**

Can be detected from the examination of stained smear preparation.

**Noncellular semen markers**

To detect the presence of specific and unique seminal plasma markers

**P30 / Prostate Specific Antigen**

It is a glycoprotein derived from the prostate epithelial cells and is found in seminal fluid, male urine and blood, but not found in any female tissue or body fluids.

**MHS-5 / Monoclonal Antibody Mouse Antihuman Semen-5**

It is secreted by the seminal vesicle epithelium and is not found in any other body fluid besides semen and has no cross-reactivity with other body fluids

phosphoglutamase

polymorphic in all populations and can be subdivided into 10 distinct subgroups.

Peptidase

polymorphic in many racial groups and is commonly employed as a discriminator in cases where the perpetrator is suspected to be black.

**Postcoital Interval**

the time lapsed since last act of sexual intercourse.

**Feigned Rape**

a condition wherein a woman pretends to have been raped

**Incest**

an offense wherein sexual intercourse is practiced between a man and a woman who are within restricted relationship in a family (blood relation) and society such as father and his daughter, mother and her son or brother and his sister, etc.

**Sodomy**

defined as anal intercourse performed by a male with another male/female who may be a child/adult, with or without consent and by force.

**Active agent**

a sodomist male who performs anal intercourse actively.

**Passive agent**

a sodomist male or female who offers the anus, and plays a passive role.

**Pederasty**

an adult performing a sodomy act involving a male or a female child as his passive agent.

**Catamite**

a child who plays a passive role in sodomy.

**Gerontophilia**

an old male or female who acts as a passive agent.

**Lesbianism**

defined as a mode of deriving sexual gratification by two consenting females, by mutual genital manipulations manually with fingers, lips, or extragenital mechanical devices—sex toys.

**Buccal Coitus**

sexual gratification of a male by performing the act of intercourse into the oral cavity of a sex partner with consent or by force (usually a female partner).

**Bestiality**

 defined as sexual gratification by having sexual intercourse with animals.

**Eonism/Transvestism**

a sexual perversion wherein sexual gratification is achieved by wearing the dress of the opposite sex.

**Exhibitionism**

The exhibitionist gets the pleasure by exposing private parts in public or in front of a opposite sex individual, sometimes performing masturbation.

**Fetishism**

Here the individual gets sexual excitement and gratification by merely seeing or feeling of female body parts, certain articles belonging to a woman, such as a sari, footwear, stockings, undergarments, hankies, hairpins, etc.

**Masochism**

Here the sexual gratification is obtained on being tortured by the sex partner.

**Sadism**

a sexual perversion wherein sexual gratification is achieved by inducing pain on the sex partner.

**Lust Murder**

 the consequence of extreme sadist practice by a male.

**Sadomasochism**

commonly know as bondage. It is a combined form of sadism and masochism in the same individual.

**Necrophagia**

a person gets sexual gratification by tearing out the genitals or other parts like breasts, buttocks, etc. of his partner after her death by his teeth and may virtually eat them raw.

**Necrophilia**

a desire of obtaining sexual gratification by performing sexual intercourse with a dead person of opposite sex.

**Voyeurism**

It consists of achieving sexual gratification by secretly watching others getting undressed, taking bath, or performing sexual intercourse, etc.

**Blue Film**

a movie taken while a couple is performing sexual union and exhibited to the audience in a theatre or video parlour.

**Troilism**

an extreme degree of voyeurism wherein a perverted husband gets sexual gratification by watching his own wife performing, sexual intercourse with another man.

**Masturbation**

type of perversion comprises of an act of deliberate, manual handling or self manipulation of genital organ by fingers or mechanical devices till ejaculation in a male and orgasm in a female.

**Nymphomaniac**

a type of perversion of excessive sexual desire in a woman, wherein the woman is in need of sex frequently, irrespective of whether it is by normal or abnormal sexual acts.

**Satyriasis**

an excessive sexual desire, arousal and drive in men. These subjects are liable to commit sexual offenses like rape or practise other abnormal sexual acts.

**Frotteurism**

a mischievous act usually practiced by a male sex-pervert in a crowded place to derive sexual gratification by pressing/rubbing his genital part through the dresses worn, against body parts of a female in front of him.

**Undinism**

 a rare type of sexual perversion, common among men wherein the pervert achieves sexual gratification by watching the act of passing urine or defaecating by woman.

**Indecent Assault**

any offense committed on a female with an intent or knowledge to outrage her modesty. This is usually sexually motivated and obviously done without her consent.

**Abortion**

defined as the premature expulsion of the products of conception prior to completion of the total period of gestation.