Il maltrattamento in gravidanza nell’esperienza del Centro Soccorso Violenza Sessuale di Torino: aspetti clinici e medico-legali.

[Machine translation] Introduction and Purpose - Domestic violence during pregnancy represents a major risk factor for maternal and fetal health. According to ISTAT, in 2014, 11.8% of women were mistreated during pregnancy by their partner. Although healthcare professionals are trained to recognize signs and symptoms, the incidence of violence during pregnancy remains underestimated., Materials and Methods - We conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of women assisted by the Sexual Violence Rescue Center of the Sant'Anna Hospital in Turin from 2005 to 2017, describing the characteristics of the victims, the perpetrators and the consequences of the violence. , Results and Discussion - We observed 113 pregnant victims of violence, average age 27.9±6.0 years, 53 (46.9%) in the first trimester, 80 (70.8%) foreigners, including 41 (51.3%) African. The perpetrator of the violence was the partner in 70.8% of cases and less frequently a family member (69.2% vs 93.9%, p=0.003) or a compatriot (57.4% vs 83.3%, p=0.02) when the victim is a foreigner. Sixty-eight women (60.2%) have experienced multiple forms of violence, 98 (86.7%) physical violence, 23 (20.4%) sexual violence. Seventy-five women (66.3%) experienced repeated episodes of violence, 20 (17.7%) an increase in violence during pregnancy, 18 (15.9%) only one episode during pregnancy. Fifty-four women (47.8%) suffered injuries, mainly lacer-bruised wounds, and 32 (28.3%) terminated their pregnancy. In 96 cases (85%), a complaint was filed with the Judicial Authority. 48 women (42.5%) filed a lawsuit. , Conclusions - The number of mistreatment identified is negligible compared to what is reported in the literature and mainly linked to physical violence against foreign women.