An Observational Study of Sexual Assaults in French Guiana During 2019–2020 [Letter]

Dear editor

We have read the paper written by Victoire Menseau et al about sexual violence which is a major public health problem in French Guiana.¹ We congratulate all the authors who have provided valuable information regarding sexual violence which is a violation of Human Rights and in some In developing countries, one of which is Indonesia, there is Law No. 12 of 2022 concerning the Crime of Sexual Violence, which is expected to be a breath of fresh air in handling these cases. Sexual violence itself is an act of physical or sexual violence against someone that occurs without that person’s consent where there is a violation of bodily integrity and sexual autonomy.² Intervention actions against sexual violence in a social-ecological context can prevent violence from spreading from individuals to the wider community especially those that impact marginalized communities.³

The study conducted by Victoire Menseau et al used a retrospective descriptive approach with a sample of patients who were consulted regarding sexual violence in the Forensic Medicine Department and Hospital Emergency Unit.¹ The method used was in accordance with the objectives to be achieved, but additional information was provided. The five domains that are widely discussed in the process of identifying problems in child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are research and knowledge formation, legal framework and principles, prevention efforts, policy responses, and establishing social norms. These five domains are used in international epidemiological studies of national and international policy documents, social science literature, and legal systems to determine sustainable policies in the concept and therapy of CSA patients.⁴

In this research, Victoire Menseau et al found that of all the victims of sexual violence who were consulted, the majority of them were women, most of whom were still teenagers and the most frequent attacks were penile-vaginal penetration and penile-anal penetration.¹ This is confirmed by the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the prevalence of sexual violence in intimate relationships ranging from 5% to 47%, these findings are very worrying for various countries and organizations dealing with this type of aggression. International policy against sexual violence against women has become a serious social problem.² In addition, it is necessary to take into account dispositional factors that are closely related to sexual violence such as personality traits and factors that can indirectly influence the level of physical violence perpetrated during sexual assault.⁵

In conclusion, we agree that women are the most victims of sexual violence and the attackers are mostly men who generally come from the family environment.¹ Therefore it is necessary to increase our understanding of the role of all stakeholders in the sexual victimization of women, in this case It is the environment around them which is the main protective factor.² Apart from that, all parties also need to increase understanding of the concept of sexual violence both in the fields of research, law, policy, prevention and the formation of social norms, this will help in reducing incidents, sexual violence in the future.⁴