Non-accidental injury: photography and procedures.

Medical photographers have a duty to produce high quality photographs of cases involving non-accidental injuries, which may be used as evidence in a court of law. The accurate recording of these inflicted lesions can have an influential role in any evaluation of child abuse. The abused child differs from the average clinical patient in many ways. This paper examines the photographic requirements together with legal and ethical issues paying particular attention to the photography of patterns of lesions in physical abuse. The recording of signs in emotional and sexual abuse is also discussed.