title: A review of drug-facilitated sexual assault evidence: an Irish perspective.
abstract: Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is prevalent in Western society. There is a significant degree of confusion regarding the definition and prevalence of DFSA. It is a subject with medical, scientific and legal aspects. These facets are explored in this review through a detailed examination of published data. The legal issues are defined in the context of the Irish judicial system. Several key case-law studies are presented to aid in understanding unresolved difficulties that persist in this complex field of forensics. The aim of this paper is to aid individuals from disparate disciplines to increase their evidence base in the complex and evolving issue of DFSA.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Pathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland. dermotmcbrierty@beaumont.ie
authors.forename: Dermot
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McBrierty
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tormey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014474:Unconsciousness / Q000150:complications; D055815:Young Adult