Reporting to the police

 

It's completely up to you whether or not to report to the police. No-one else can or should make that choice for you.

 

We have specialist Independent Sexual Violence Accredited Advisors at SERICC  - ISVAA workers, who can give you information about what will happen if you report to the Police, to help you make an informed decision.

 

If you do report, a medical examination will usually be carried out to collect any forensic evidence. This is evidence that can be gathered through scientific tests, like DNA from hair or swabs.

 

If you’re not sure yet whether you want to report to the police but think you might at some point, you can have a forensic medical examination at Oakwood Place SARC in Brentwood.

 

They can store forensic evidence here for use in the future.

 

If you do want forensic evidence to be collected, try and go to the SARC or police as soon as you can, and within 72 hours if possible.

 

If you want forensic evidence to be collected, try not to:

 

• eat or drink
• smoke
• wash
• brush your teeth
• change your clothes
• clean up the place where it happened

 

This is to preserve as much evidence as possible.

 

If you have already done some of these things, don't worry. There might still be forensic evidence to collect.

 

If you do decide to change your clothes, put the ones you were wearing in a clean plastic bag without washing them if you can.