What you can do first if you've been raped or sexually assaulted
If you or someone else is in danger right now
Is someone about to be attacked or hurt? Is a crime taking place right now? If yes, call 999 and ask for the police.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.
If you're in danger but you can't talk on the phone, you should still call 999, then follow these instructions.
There's no right way to feel or act if you've been raped or sexually assaulted. What you do is up to you. But here are some things you might want to do or think about first.
Make sure you're safe
- Get yourself somewhere that feels safe.
- Ask someone you trust to be with you.
- Keep warm.
- If you're hurt or injured, get medical help.
Get help and support
You can talk to a trusted friend or family member about what's happened.
If you want to talk to someone else, there are lots of people who can help you, including a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) or a charity like Rape Crisis.
Forensic evidence
If the incident happened recently, it may be possible to collect forensic evidence that could help the case.
Forensic evidence means something that the offender might have left behind that could help us prove what happened.
It's always your choice whether to report it to the police. But if you're not sure, you can keep your options open by protecting forensic evidence.
If you haven't already, try not to:
- eat or drink
- smoke
- wash
- brush your teeth
- change your clothes
- clean or tidy the place it happened
But don't worry if you've already done any of these things. That doesn't mean it's too late to collect any forensic evidence.
More about forensic evidence in rape and sexual assault
Sexual health
If you're worried about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy, find sexual health services via the NHS.
Reporting rape or sexual assault
We know deciding to report rape and sexual assault can be difficult. What to do is always your choice. We've put together some information that might help you decide whether reporting is right for you.
If you decide to report it, you can:
- tell the police or report it to one of the rape and sexual assault support organisations
- report it anonymously (without saying who you are) or give your full details and start an investigation
- report it yourself or ask someone else to report it for you
If you decide to report it to the police, you can report it:
- online
- by calling 101
- by going to a police station