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westThe Evolution and Impact of the Child Sexual Assault Forensic Interview in Guyana: A Pioneering Multidisciplinary Intervention in the Caribbean and a Novel Approach for Low Middle-Income Countries.

Jun 9, 2022 10:06 AM - Jun 9, 2022 22:06 PM, , Marissa Seepersaud, Global Health Equality/Forensic Science in Low/Middle Income Countries, Section Presentation

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Forensic Science in Guyana is in its naissance, both in terms of clinical practice as well as pedagogical science. This is particularly true with respect to the Forensics of Child Sexual Assault and the Child Sexual Assault Forensic Interview. The Child Sexual Assault Forensic Interview program in Guyana is the first of its kind amongst any Caribbean nation and may serve as a useful model for promoting forensic science, social justice and global health initiatives amongst other Low Middle Income Countries. Over the past five years, from initial introduction in 2017 to 2021, Child Sexual Assault Forensic Interviews in Guyana have increased from 98 to 673, and referrals to Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) have increased from 87 to 458. This has had an overall positive impact on cases and subsequent conviction rates, as well as the interviewed children who have been entered into counseling and therapy programs as a direct result of the Forensic Interview Process. We will discuss the evolution of the Forensic Interview Process and the associated pedagogy in Guyana, the Caribbean and Low Middle Income Countries, as well as provide a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of our current position. Additionally, we will discuss lessons learned and actionable best practices in from five years of Child Sexual Assault education and Forensic Interviews amongst Critical-Care, Emergency Medicine, Law Enforcement, Judicial, and Social Work staff in Guyana. Lastly, we extend an invitation to collaborate with goals of promoting global-health equity and the careers of both our audience members and our colleagues abroad.