Reporting the Crime to the Police
We hope you will decide to report your attack to the police. While there’s no way to change what happened to you, you can seek justice and help stop it from happening to someone else.
Reporting to the police is the key to preventing sexual assault: every time we lock up a rapist, we’re preventing him or her from committing another attack. It’s the most effective tool that exists to prevent future rapes. In the end, though, whether or not to report is your decision to make. Here are some tools to help you make the decision that is right for you.
We hope you will decide to report your attack to the police. While there's no way to change what happened to you, you can seek justice.
Learn how to deal with the immediate aftermath of a rape.
In the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault, it is common for victims to hesitate in contacting law enforcement. Reporting sexual assault to law enforcement is an important step, as it can help victims/survivors.
54% of rapes/sexual assaults are not reported to the police. Those rapists, of course, never serve a day in prison.
A forensic medical exam may be performed at a hospital or other healthcare facility, by a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), sexual assault forensic examiner (SAFE) or another medical professional.
Knowing what to expect from the reporting process, victims/survivors can prepare for what is to come. It is important to remember that the only chance for an offender to be brought to justice is working within the system.
