No matter who you are, where you’re from, whatever the circumstances were at the time, and no matter what anyone has said, if somebody has raped or sexually assaulted you, there is no excuse and it’s not your fault.
Whether you want to report what has happened to you or not (that’s your choice) there are two really important things to think about straight away.
- Your body – if someone has raped or sexually assaulted you in some way it’s really important to get the help or treatment your body might need.
- Your mind – what’s happened to you is really traumatic and may affect how you think and feel about yourself and other people. You don’t have to talk to the police if you don’t want to, but there are lots of other people who can help you right now.
If you don’t want to report what’s happened to you to the police you can still go to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).
At the SARC you can talk to specially trained staff about what’s happened to you and you can also be tested for sexually transmitted diseases and, and if you’re a woman, for pregnancy.
At the SARC you can also have a forensic medical examination. This is a special examination of your body where evidence can be taken and then stored. This means that if at a later time, you decide you want to report what’s happened to you to the police, there will be evidence they may be able to use. If you're finding it hard to speak about what's happened to you, you can use the online referral form to access services and support.
Evidence
If you do want to make a report to the police right now or if you want to have a forensic examination at the SARC in case you want to talk with the police in the future, please:
- Go to the SARC or contact the police straight away – the evidence that might be available from you won’t last too long so it’s important that it’s taken as soon as possible. The most reliable forensic evidence can be collected up to 7 days following an assault.
- Don’t wash or clean your teeth.
- Don’t smoke, eat or drink anything.
- Don’t change your clothes, or if you already have, put them into a clean plastic bag.
- Try to avoid going to the toilet if you can.
