After experiencing sexual assault or rape, it can be hard to know what to do. You are probably feeling all kinds of emotions right now. We can help.
You might be thinking about reporting to the police. We can support you with how to do this.
You might not be sure what you want to do. That’s okay too. You don’t have to report to the police if you don’t want to.
Doing a forensic medical examination has to be done within a certain amount of time. The DNA we are aiming to collect only stays on the body for a short time. We can also check for injuries and these can heal up in quite a short time too. We can still see you for a forensic medical examination without involving the police. By doing this we can collect evidence that might disappear over time. You can even bring the clothing you were wearing at the time. We can keep this evidence in our centre for two years. We call this a self-referral. This option will buy you a bit of time to think through what you want to do.
It is important to remember that the forensic medical examination is only part of a police investigation. The police gather evidence from lots of different places and put all the information together a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. Over time other pieces of the puzzle may become lost too. It is just worth bearing this in mind if you are thinking about reporting.
One of our ISVAs can talk through the criminal justice system and support you with what you want to do.