Abstract

Relevance. All forms of violence against civilians during armed conflict are not only criminal offenses but also violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. To address this issue in the context of armed conflict, comprehensive coordination between international and national institutions and a cross-sectoral approach to providing legal and medical assistance and socio-psychological support to victims of violence are necessary. At the legislative level, Ukraine has developed regulatory documents on the prevention and counteraction of violence and the protection and observance of human rights. Objective: to analyze and summarize recommendations for medical professionals on documenting and recording bodily injuries in cases of violence (physical, sexual, psychological) and providing medical and psychological assistance to victims while respecting patients' rights and ensuring their safety. Materials and methods. Review of regulatory and legal documents and scientific and methodological publications in the international electronic scientometric databases PubMed, Embase, and Scopus by keywords. Results. In Ukraine, there is comprehensive interaction between law enforcement agencies, medical institutions, forensic experts, and other services to provide timely and comprehensive assistance to victims when violence is detected; a system of measures to prevent, counteract, and combat violence has been developed and is constantly being improved. It is very important to involve medical workers. Materials and methods. Review of regulatory and legal documents and scientific and methodological publications in the international electronic scientometric databases PubMed, Embase, and Scopus by keywords. Results. In Ukraine, there is comprehensive interaction between law enforcement agencies, medical institutions, forensic experts, and other services to provide timely and comprehensive assistance to victims when violence is detected; a system of measures to prevent, counteract, and combat violence has been developed and is constantly being improved. It is important to involve medical professionals in the timely recording and documentation of crimes, while respecting the rights and ensuring the safety of victims. A person who has suffered physical, mental, and sexual violence in the context of armed conflict has the right to receive qualified medical care free of charge. Medical assistance to persons who have suffered from violence (physical, sexual, psychological, etc.) is provided in healthcare facilities as needed at all levels of medical care, both on an outpatient and inpatient basis, in accordance with the Protocols for the Provision of Medical Care, i.e., in accordance with industry standards in the field of healthcare. When victims or their legal representatives seek medical care, medical workers must record their complaints (appeals), collect medical history, conduct a medical examination with recording and documentation of bodily injuries, assess the condition of the victim, and, if necessary, prescribe additional instrumental and laboratory examinations and measures to prevent the consequences of violence. In doing so, it is important for medical workers to follow the algorithm of actions for medical workers in cases of recording and documenting bodily injuries. Conclusion. In Ukraine, as in the rest of the world, measures to prevent and combat violence related to armed conflicts are widely used, and recommendations on how to overcome it are constantly being developed and improved with the involvement of law enforcement agencies, social services, medical institutions, public and international organizations, demonstrating the implementation of European standards. The purpose of providing medical assistance to victims is to overcome the negative consequences and effects of traumatic violence on the physical and psychological health of victims. Timely recording and documentation of bodily injuries in victims by medical personnel and diagnosis of the consequences of injuries will help to gather evidence of crime/violence and, accordingly, assist in the investigation of criminal offenses.