Forensic Medicine · Sexual Offences

Classification of Sexual Offences

1 min read · Verified by professors

Sexual offences in forensic medicine are grouped according to whether the act is biologically natural, unnatural, or a perversion of normal sexual behaviour. Knowing this framework helps you place each individual offence (rape, sodomy, the paraphilias) in context.

Natural Sexual Offences

  • Rape
  • Incest
  • Adultery (historically discussed in forensic texts)

Unnatural Sexual Offences

  • Sodomy (anal intercourse)
  • Lesbianism
  • Bestiality

Sexual Perversions (Paraphilias)

  • Exhibitionism
  • Fetishism
  • Voyeurism
  • Sadism
  • Masochism
  • Necrophilia
  • Transvestism

Other Sexual Offences

  • Sexual harassment
  • Voyeurism
  • Stalking
  • Assault with sexual intent
  • Child sexual abuse
High Yield

The three core categories to recall are Natural (rape, incest, adultery), Unnatural (sodomy, lesbianism, bestiality), and Perversions / Paraphilias (exhibitionism, fetishism, voyeurism, sadism, masochism, necrophilia, transvestism).