Background: The gynecological emergency department of the Policlinico Umberto I, Rome sees an average of about 30 cases of violence against females each year. It is stressed that these cases are not representative of all cases of violence against women in Rome and they cannot be used to estimate the prevalence or incidence of the phenomenon, but they may provide some insight on the victims and their aggressors, the use of drugs or alcohol, factors which may affect the decision to report the attack to the police and attacks on children.
Methods: The case records of all 458 females seen in the emergency department between 1999 and 2013 were retrieved, data were extracted and an Excel worksheet was prepared. Temporal variation in the numbers of cases, the types of aggression, the use of drugs or alcohol, reporting the attack to the police and violence against children were specifically investigated using frequency tabulations and appropriate statistical tests.
Results: There has been little change in the number of cases seen during the 15 year period; there is no significant seasonal effect or difference between the days of the week. Just over half of the attacks were reported to the police, but this was less likely among the older victims. About 87% of the cases involved vaginal and/or anal penetration. The use of drugs and/or alcohol was most common, 43%, among unmarried women aged 21-25. There were 32 cases of violence against children aged under 16.
Conclusions: There has been little change in the number and characteristics of violent attacks on women seen at this large hospital in Rome over the years 1999-2013.These cases provide little information about the general epidemiology of violence against women, although they do imply that this great social and cultural problem continues unabated in Rome.
Keywords: Case-series; Violence; Women.