Forensic doctors to specialize in child abuse diagnosis

A special program provided by the Netherlands Forensics Institute (NFI) and funded by the Ministry of Security and Justice will train forensic doctors to more efficiently recognize signs of child abuse, reports the government. Secretary for Security and Justice Klaas Dijkhoff officially launched the program on Wednesday morning in the town of Riel. The over 100,000 instances of child abuse in the Netherlands each year compelled the Ministry of Security and Justice and the Ministry of Health to establish a task force on child abuse, says a statement on the government website. Better use of forensic medical expertise is a chief concern of the task force, which was established two and a half years ago. In total, 50 doctors from the Netherlands will undergo the three-day training. Besides broadening their knowledge about physical and sexual abuse, the program aims to enhance regional cooperation. “Children have a right to grow up in a safe environment. It thus important that physicians recognize both physical and mental signs of child abuse,” Dijkhoff is quoted as saying. “Early recognition allows us to intervene.”