Sexual assault
What happens if you report to Sussex Police that you
have been sexually assaulted?
Only you can decide if you want to tell the police about being
attacked but if you do, we will make sure you get all the support
possible, from the police and other local specialists.
What is sexual assault?
Sexual assault can be anything from inappropriate touching of
sexual areas such as breasts to rape, which is the unconsenting
penetration of the mouth, vagina or anus with a penis. Anyone of
any age, race or sex can be sexually assaulted. If you have not
consented to the sexual act and the other person has reason to
believe you do not consent - it is sexual assault. That includes
when you are married or in a relationship.
How do you contact Sussex Police?
Call us on 999 if the incident happened recently.
If you wish to report a sexual assault that happened a long time
ago, call our non-emergency number: 101. Another
option is to go into your local police station. Feel free to ask a
friend or relative to come with you.
What's the first thing that happens when you report the
crime?
A Sexual Offences Liaison Officer will be sent out to see
you or will speak to you over the phone. This is a police officer
who has been specially chosen and trained to provide you with the
best possible support.
The officer will ask some basic questions to make sure you are safe and find out what happened, when and where, and who was involved. They will work out what needs to be done next and tell you about the support services that are available locally, such as the specialist support available from The Saturn Centre, the Sussex service for women and men affected by rape and sexual assault.
The Saturn Centre leaflet explains how they can help and you can find out more at at www.saturncentre.org or by calling 01293 600469.
Another specialist support service is Lifecentre. You can find out more about this at www.lifecentre.uk.com or call 01243 786349.
You may also find support through the Survivors' Network. You can find out more about this at www.survivorsnetwork.org.uk
Will you be medically examined?
If the assault happened recently then a medical examination may
enable the police to detect any forensic evidence. If you are
willing to be examined, the police officer will drive you to the
Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Crawley known as The Saturn
Centre. If you would like a friend or family member with you, they
can usually come along too. When you get there, you'll be told
exactly what will happen in the examination and the doctor will be
able to discuss with you immediate concerns relating to the risk of
pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, as well as assessing
any injuries that may be present.
When will you be interviewed to find out exactly what
happened?
The Saturn Centre has special rooms with comfy sofas and hot
drinks, where you can be interviewed if that feels ok for you - or
you could decide to be interviewed in another location where you
feel more comfortable, when you are ready.
The interview can either be written down or filmed - it's up to you. The advantage of having it filmed is that if your case gets to court then the film could be played as evidence.
In this interview, you need to tell us exactly what happened, but you will be given lots of support by the interviewing officer and will be able to take breaks when you need to.
When will someone be arrested?
Once you've told us what happened, the next step is to arrest the
person accused of committing the offence. The Crown Prosecution
Service will then be asked if there is enough reason to charge the
suspect or if the suspect needs to be bailed while the Police
continue with their investigation (for example by speaking to
witnesses, sending off forensic evidence to be analysed or watching
CCTV footage).
You can find out more about the process of going to court at the Crown Prosecution website. You may also find it useful to talk to Victim Support about how they can help you through the process.
I'm not sure about reporting. Can I do it
anonymously?
If you don't want to report being sexually assaulted to Sussex
Police, you can still help us to stop other people going through
the same experience by going directly to The Saturn
Centre - they can collect any evidence (and if you change your
mind, this evidence can be used to help your case). They can also
provide you with a third party reporting form which you can fill in
anonymously - they will pass it on to us without revealing your
identity. Find out more about how they can help at www.saturncentre.org or
call 01293 600469.
Many of the people that Sussex Police work with such as the Lifecentre are also part of a scheme where they pass on information to officers without giving away details which could identify you. This helps us to see if there are any serial offenders. They will always ask your permission before they pass on any information.