Documenting medico-legal evidence in Kenya: Potential strategies for improvement

Background Sexual violence (SV) remains a global public health problem and a violation of multiple human rights. It can negatively impact on the shortand long-term physical, social and mental health of survivors and is associated with many adverse health outcomes [1-3]. It is assumed that some of the negative outcomes of SV can be addressed through the provision of appropriate postrape care services [4]. The latter include the collection and documentation of medico-legal evidence, which is central to the success of prosecution efforts and positive legal outcomes. In Kenya, where one in five women has experienced SV [5] and where the criminal justice system relies heavily on medico-legal evidence collected by health care providers, significant gaps exist in how medico-legal evidence is collected and recorded by providers [6]. One of the main gaps identified is a lack of understanding among health providers and police of the national documentation forms to be used in capturing survivor data. In response to this barrier, this study aimed to improve the documentation of medico-legal evidence in Kenya in order to facilitate improved health and legal outcomes for SV survivors.