Section 375 of IPC defines rape as unlawful sexual

intercourse by a man with a woman: 1. Against her will;

2. Without her consent; 3. With her consent, when her
consent has been obtained by putting her or any other
person in whom she is interested in fear of death or
hurt; 4. With her consent, when the man knows that he
is not her husband and that her consent is given
because she believes that he is another man to whom
she is or believes herself to be lawfully married; 5. With
her consent, when at time of giving such consent, by
reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication or the
administration by him personally or through another of
any stupefying or unwholesome substance, she is
unable to understand the nature and consequences of
that to which she gives consent; 6. With or without her
consent, when she is under 16 years of age.
Explanation: Penetration is sufficient to constitute the
sexual intercourse necessary to the offense of rape.
Exception: Sexual intercourse by a man with his own
wife, the wife not being less than 15 years of age, is not
rape. Medical Examination of Rape Victim • Doctors,
examining a victim of rape are shouldered with dual
responsibilities, firstly they have to treat the patient and
provide support and secondly they have to examine the
victim and collect material evidences to facilitate and aid
the justice. • A female nurse or attendant should be
present while examining victim. Section 53 (2) of CrPC
states that whenever female has to be examined it
should be done by (or under supervision) of a lady
doctor. • The medical examination consists of: 1.
Recording history 2. Examination of clothes 3. Physical
examination 4. Collection of material evidence..
*History -The history includes • Whether the victim had
attended menarche? If yes, whether she was
menstruating at the time of alleged incident? • Her
marital status and history • Obstetric history, if relevant •
History of any venereal disease • History about the
incident, the time, the location, date, nature of assault,
whether penetration was vaginal/anal/ oral. Number of
assailants. • Whether there was any
ejaculation/discharge? • Whether resistance offered? •
Whether bath taken or local washing done? Clothes •
Clothes should be examined for presence of blood
stains, semen stains, secretions, mud particles, any hair
or foreign material etc. • Note for any damage to clothes
in form of torn marks cut, tear, rip, wear and tear, loss of
buttons etc. Damage to clothes can be interpreted as
indicating a struggle orthat force was used. •
Microscopy can identify blood on the cut thread ends of
a cut Physical Examination..General examination • A
good light is essential • Record two identification marks
• Record general built, height and weight • Record vital
parameters • Examine mental maturity in relation to age
• Mental status – confused/clear/apprehensive •
Request the victim to stand on a large clean, white
sheet of paper and undress herself. The purpose is to
collect any material evidence that falls on the paper •
Examine the presence of any fresh or dried blood
stains/ semen stain/saliva stains etc. on the body.
These should be scrapped/swabbed and collected •
Note presence of injuries over body. The injuries may
be found over face, neck, breast, inner aspect of thigh
etc. Look for recent physical assault injuries like grip
marks,bite marks, ligature impressions etc.. Local
Examination - • A good light is essential and the
lithotomy position is preferable. • Pubic hairs – Note
whether shaved/unshaved/matted with semen/blood.
Search for presence of any foreign hair. Take clippings
of pubic hair from victim for comparison • Thigh – Note
presence of contusions and/or abrasions or any stains •
Look for any vaginal bleeding • Labia majora and
minora – Note presence of any swelling/
injury/stains/soiling • Hymen – » The hymen may be
conveniently examined by inserting a specially designed
glass globe on a stem, which is then partially withdrawn
so that the hymen is spread around its circumference.
However, in most instances, a conventional examination
using a speculum is carried out.6 » Note the state of
hymen whether torn or intact. If torn, its extent, position,
fresh or old (Table 16.3). » It is said that tears of the
hymen due to rupture with fingers are usually lateral,
whilst rupture with the penis are usually posterior.» In
children hymen may not be ruptured but becomes red
and congested because hymen is deeply situated. Adult
penis may not penetrate without causing gross damage.
There may be bruising of labia.• Vagina – » Look at
vaginal mucosa for presence of any injury/ foreign body.
» Rugae of vaginal wall – distinct/not distinct » Look for
vaginal canal and fornix for collection of any
fluid/semen» The examination should include deep
vaginal examination, as occasionally, high vaginal tears
occur, especially in violent assaults on children »
Colposcopy – provides magnification in a range of 5 to
30 times and greater illumination and thus help in
detection of minor trauma. Many authorities recommend
use of colposcopy examination in sexual assault
victims. » Toluidine blue – Toluidine blue stains nuclei
and is used on the posterior fourchette to identify
lacerations of the keratinized squamous epithelium that
are not apparent on gross visualization. • Anus – look
for any discharge/hemorrhage/injury.Hymen may not be
ruptured if: • If penetration was not full • If victim
happens to be female child as hymen is deeply situated
• If hymen if tough, fleshy, elastic (false virgin) • If
female is deflorated. Samples to be collected in
victim 1. Clothes and undergarments 2. Foreign
evidentiary material – like hair, fiber, button etc. 3.
Fingernail scrapings 4. Scrapings from suspected stain
marks from body surface 5. Scalp hairs – for
comparison with scalp hairs found over body/clothes of
alleged accused 6. Swab from teeth bite mark 7.
Combing of pubic hairs 8. Hair clipping of victim 9.
Vaginal swab/smears, cervical smears 10. Washings of
posterior fornix of vagina for – Detection of spermatozoa
– Presence of mycobacterium smegmatis (smegma
bacilli) – Presence of sexually transmitted disease. 11.
Blood for – Serology – Pregnancy test – For presence
of drug/intoxicant – DNA profiling – For venereal
disease 12. Urine for – Pregnancy test – Detection of
alcohol 13. Condom if found at scene of crime –
laboratory examination of condom may reveal presence
of blood/vaginal epithelial cells on one side and semen
on the other. Pubic hairs may also be present. DNA
profiling of semen may be of help.