OBJECTIVE: To describe the victims of sexual assault and the circumstances in which the assaults occur.

DESIGN: Descriptive case study.

SETTING: Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault (CVSA), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

POPULATION OR SAMPLE: A total of 2541 women attending CVSA from 2001 to 2010.

METHODS: All women attending CVSA underwent a standardised data collection procedure. Descriptive bivariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Associations between different assault characteristics and (1) the age of the victim and (2) the relationship between victim and perpetrator.

RESULTS: Two-thirds of the victims were aged 15-24 years. Seventy-five percent had met the perpetrator before the sexual assault and 70% reported the assault to the police. A physical injury was found in 53, and 27% sustained an anogenital lesion. Alcohol was involved in 60% of the cases. One-third of the victims had experienced a previous sexual assault(s). Women were more likely to report to the police when they were assaulted by a stranger (odds ratio [OR] 1.9, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.3-2.6) and sustained a physical injury (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.4-2.2) or anogenital lesion (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.0). Women aged 45 years or older were more likely to sustain a physical injury (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.2) or an anogenital lesion (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4-3.2).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results challenge the typical stereotype of a violent rape attack by a stranger, which is important in creating an environment where women are not reluctant to seek help after a sexual assault. Young age and drinking alcohol were risk factors for sexual assault, and we need to address this when considering preventive strategies.