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In the past 7 days

Our services are available all people of all ages. You may be feeling scared, confused and isolated. We can help you.

We have a team of specially trained and dedicated staff who understand what impact rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse can have on people’s lives. Our team will aim to help you recover both physically and emotionally from your experience.

You can:

  • Contact us on our 24 hour helpline 01603 276381 and find out more about our range of services and support. 
  • If you are in danger it is important that you contact the police. If it is an emergency call 999 and if it is not an emergency, ring 101 and you will be put through to your local police service and they will take appropriate action. Alternatively, find a safe place to stay.
  • If you need to escape a dangerous situation but have children or other responsibilities that prevent you from leaving, please call us on 01603 276381 as we have links to other agencies that can help find you a safe place to stay. You can also call the police.
  • If you have serious injuries you must seek immediate medical help.

We may need to break confidentiality if we believe you or someone else is at risk of serious harm. We would keep you informed of this wherever possible. We will need to share information with other agencies if we believe a child has been or is at risk of serious harm .
 

I want to report to the Police

If the assault happened in the last seven days ring 999.

The police will want some information about what has happened to you and some basic details like your name and address. They will understand that you may be in distress and it is important to try and be calm so they can get help to you as quickly as possible.

A police officer will meet with you face to face as soon as possible and ask you what has happened and look at the circumstances of the assault. They will make a note of everything you say and make sure you get the right support and information quickly.

They will offer to bring you to the SARC so that we can assess your medical needs, collect any forensic medical evidence that could be used in an investigation and also provide you with on-going support from an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor through any criminal investigation.

The examination that takes place is conducted as part of the police investigation into a criminal offence. The police may also need to gather other evidence. This might come from where the assault took place. If the offender has been apprehended they may take medical evidence from them or any other relevant people or places.

The police will want to interview you in order to take a full account of what happened and under what circumstances. They will discuss this with you and you can decide if you are happy to have a video interview or provide a written statement, this usually takes place while you are at the SARC.

If the assault happened more than seven days ago, ring the Police on 101 and tell them what happened to you. They won’t need to bring you to the SARC as there will be no need for you to have a forensic medical examination but they will want to take a statement from you, either by video interview or a written statement.

If you would like to be supported by an ISVA, the officer dealing with your case will refer you into our service and we will contact you to make an appointment for the ISVA to come out and see you.

I don't want to report to the Police

If you are aged 13 and over you don’t have to make a report to the police to access the services at the SARC, whether the assault happened recently or in the past. Call us on 01603 276381 to make an appointment and we will book you in as soon as possible.

Please be aware, all cases involving children under the age of 13 have to be reported to the police.

We would encourage you to bring a friend or partner to support you when you attend the Centre and take you home, particularly following a forensic medical examination.

If the assault happened within the last seven days and if you consent to a forensic medical examination we can store all your samples for a period of time, so if you want to make a report to the police at a later date you can do. It gives you the chance to consider your next steps.

There will be no pressure for you to make a report to the police. Your crisis worker will talk through your options with you.

You may decide that you want to give information to the police without revealing your identity. You can also choose to have your forensic samples analysed anonymously. No information will be shared without your consent unless we feel that there is a child or vulnerable adult safeguarding issue. If we felt that we had to share information we would inform you of this.

If you would like on-going support from one of our Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA’s) we can arrange this for you.