Journal of Forensic Research

Secondary Transfer of Semen

Abstract

Mette Pagh Schou

A case is described of a three year old girl who had been treated for urinary tract infections during a longer period. At one incident erythrocytes and spermatozoa were found in the girl’s urine. The mother explained that she had intercourse with her husband early in the morning, and that she used a menstrual cup. As she was emptying the cup during toilet visit with the girl, she had blood on her fingers. When the girl urinated, the urine also touched the mother’s fingers thus washing some of the blood including spermatozoa from the intercourse down into the urine sample. The forensic examination, including DNA-profiling of blood and semen, did not contradict this explanation. No other possible cause was found for this contamination with erythrocytes and semen in the girl’s urine. Child abuse was highly unlikely.