Sexual violence has a heavy impact on the mental and physical health of victims, especially when they are young. In Senegal, health actors and child protection organizations have shown growing interest in this problem, but the scarcity of studies and the "sexual taboo" mean that the available data underestimate the extent of the problem. The objective of this study is to determine the epidemiological and clinical profile of sexual violence against minors in the Ziguinchor region. A descriptive retrospective study from April 1rst , 2014 to October 31th, 2019 was conducted. The study population was made up of sexual violence victims under the age of 18 whose legal proceedings were handled at the Ziguinchor High Court. The data was entered into an Excel spreadsheet and then analyzed using Epi Info™ 7 software. A total of 106 cases of sexual violence against minors were collected. Rape accounted for 66.03%. The female victims were 95.28%. The average age of the victims was 12.62 years (± 3.42). Victims aged ten and over (p = 0.015) and who had a low level of education (p = 0.016) were more exposed to rape. The aggression took place during the day (65.71%) and at the aggressor’s home (62.26%). Victims knew their attacker (84.47%) and this one was a family member (11.49%). Victims were assaulted more than once by the same assailant (40.57%). Those aged 10 years and older (p = 0.0037) and who knew their attackers (p = 0.014) were more at risk of being repeatedly sexually abused. Only 11.39% of the victims had consulted within 24 hours of the attack. Among the rape victims, a pregnancy was objectified in 33 minors (47.14%). The results of our study show the need to strengthen sex education among minors in schools and in the community. Health and judicial authorities should work closely with child protection institutions and community actors to eradicate this scourge.

Keywords : sexual violence, minors, Senegal