Forensic Medicine · SAFE protocol trainer
Evidence Collection Sequencer
Choose a case, order the steps of the medico-legal examination into the correct protocol sequence, and set aside anything that is prohibited or not indicated for that case. Which samples are relevant changes with the scenario.
Case vignette
Available steps
Add — or excludeExcluded
Prohibited or not indicatedMy protocol sequence
First step at the topCritical checks
Specimen handling & chain of custody
The errors that lose cases in court. Mark each practice as sound or poor, then check.
Non-negotiable reminders
The points learners most often get wrong — worth restating every time.
Consent is layered
Separate informed consent for examination and for sample collection — each may be declined and care continues. For a minor, the guardian consents. Informing the police, by contrast, is mandatory (BNSS S 397), not consent-dependent.
Care is mandatory
Examination and treatment cannot be denied or delayed for want of an FIR — a medico-legal emergency (State of Karnataka v. Manjanna). The exam is governed by BNSS S 184 (which replaced CrPC S 164A); denying care is punishable under the BNS.
Reporting is mandatory
Hospitals must inform the police for every sexual-assault victim, adult or minor (BNSS S 397, ex CrPC S 357C). For a minor, POCSO S 19 adds a stricter duty whose breach is itself punishable under S 21.
No two-finger test
The per-vaginum "two-finger" / laxity test and "virginity" opinions are prohibited; anyone performing it is guilty of misconduct (State of Jharkhand v. Shailendra Kumar Rai, 2022). Under the BSA, 2023, the survivor's past sexual history is not admissible to imply consent.
Identity is protected
S 228A IPC (now BNS S 72) bars disclosing a victim's identity. Per Nipun Saxena v. Union of India (2018), a minor victim's identity may be revealed only with the Special Court's permission, in the child's best interest — a guardian's consent alone is not enough.
96-hour window
Collect trace evidence up to 96 h; yield falls sharply after 72 h. Collect transient evidence — oral swab, dried secretions, urine for DFSA — early.
Preserve, then examine
Undress the survivor over a sheet, air-dry swabs before packing, label and seal every specimen, and maintain chain of custody to the investigating officer.
Minors → POCSO
Under 18, POCSO applies: guardian consent and a woman doctor (POCSO S 27(4)). Reporting is mandatory as above — POCSO simply makes non-reporting an offence.
Treat, don't just collect
Emergency contraception, STI prophylaxis, HIV PEP (start within 72 h), tetanus and psychological first aid are part of the same visit — not an afterthought.
Privacy in the room
Police may not be present during the examination. Prefer a female examiner; a transgender / intersex survivor may choose the examiner.
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