What to do next
If someone you know has been sexually assaulted, it can be a very distressing and confusing time for you both. You can help to support the person who has been assaulted by;
- explaining what their options are and what happens next
- accompanying them to the police station nearest to them
- helping them to feel safe
- listening to them and supporting them through the recovery process
If they want to report to the police
Call 101 or 999. A specially trained officer will speak to you and them about what has happened and will arrange for an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) to support and guide them through the process. Unfortunately we can’t usually gather forensic DNA evidence after 10 days but we can still provide them with advice regarding sexual health, contraception, counselling and support.
If they are unsure or don’t want to report to the police
If you need help immediately, you can call us on 0300 3034626.
If not please fill out the quick referral form below and we will call you back in office hours. This service is completely confidential.
One of our specially trained staff will talk to them and you about what to do next and how we can help. We can give advice on sexual health, contraception, counselling and support.
Reporting to the police is entirely their choice and they shouldn’t feel pressured. They can decide to prosecute at a later date but we can only gather DNA evidence up to 7 days after the assault.
How we can help.
- Our friendly staff can explain what to do next and offer them support and guidance.
- We can arrange for a sexual health check up.
- We can arrange for an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) to support them with the police investigation.
- We can also provide emotional support including counselling.
Why is 10 days important?
10 days is the longest time that forensic evidence can reliably survive. After this time, we can still help them with sexual health care, counselling, advice and support but we can no longer gather forensic evidence.