Sexual Abuse Including Rape and Spiking

If you are feeling suicidal or need mental health support, please call the Samaritans on 116 123 or text Shout on 85258.

If you need emergency help, call 999 or if you wish to report a crime call 101.

Consider downloading the Hollie Guard app. Hollie Guard is a smartphone app which has some useful safety features. There are three main features:

Journey feature - allows users to set a start and end point, the app automatically monitors your journey and alerts your nominated contacts once you safely arrive or trigger an alert.
Alert feature - by holding down the hexagon button for 3-6 seconds, you can set off an alert and activate your camera, send a message and recording to your set emergency contacts
Meeting Feature - A timer you set will countdown until deactivated. You have to mark yourself as safe, otherwise it will raise an alert to your emergency contact. This is perfect for getting home safely after a night out.

Location services can be turned off any time you like. Any evidence captured will be saved in the cloud for later use.

Extra Information and Resources

If you’re worried about a child

Supporting a victim of sexual assault

Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)

What is sexual assault?

A sexual assault is any sexual act that a person did not consent to or is forced into against their will. It can happen to a person of any age. It includes rape (an assault involving penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth), ‘stealthing’ (removing a condom without consent), groping, forced kissing, child sexual abuse, or the torture of a person in a sexual manner.

Being intoxicated, not being asked, saying nothing, or having said yes in the past, is not consent. Being in a relationship or married to someone is not consent. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Where to get help?

You do not have to have visible physical injuries or signs of the assault to report it. It is not your fault and is a crime even if you did not say no.

You don't have to report the assault to the police if you don't want to. You may need time to think about what has happened to you. But you should get medical help for any injuries and you may be at risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. If you need urgent pregnancy prevention there are 2 kinds of emergency contraceptive pill (often called the ‘morning after pill’). Emergency contraception is most effective when taken as soon and possible. Levonelle has to be taken within 72 hours (3 days). ellaOne has to be taken within 120 hours (5 days). Both pills work by preventing or delaying ovulation (release of an egg).

If you want the crime to be investigated, it's best to have a forensic medical examination as soon as possible. Try not to wash or change your clothes immediately after a sexual assault as it can destroy forensic evidence that could be important. You can still go to the police even if you have washed.

You can get help from:

SARCs- sexual assault referral centre. They offer medical and emotional support for anyone that has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused. They have specially trained doctors, nurses and support workers. Find your nearest one here.
GP, A&E, a sexual health clinic, a contraceptive clinic, young people’s services, NHS 111 or their 111 website, the police via 101 or in an emergency 999.
Rape Crisis, Women's Aid, Victim Support, The Survivors Trust or Male Survivors Partnership
Rape Crisis England and Wales rape and sexual abuse helpline line - you can call the helpline on 0808 500 2222 or use the online chat (both are free and are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year
Rape Crisis Scotland National Sexual Violence Helpline- 08088 01 03 02 available every day 5pm-midnight. At the same times you can also text 07537 410 027, email support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk or webchat
Northern Ireland Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline- you can call 0808 802 1414 confidentially 24/7 or email help@dsahelpline.org

Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)

These centres are located around the country and available for everyone regardless of when it happened and the type of incident. They help with crisis care, emergency contraceptives, testing for STI’s, medical examinations and forensic examination. They can also access independent sexual assault advisors and referrals to support services for mental health and sexual violence. Forensic medical examinations can be done even if you have not decided whether or not to report. In this case, forensic evidence will be stored at the centre allowing you time to decide. In some centres you can choose to have samples processed anonymously, in case the person who assaulted you, assaulted someone else.

If you wish to have a forensic examination, try not to: eat or drink, smoke, wash, brush your teeth, change your clothes or go to the toilet (if you need to go, you can do this into a clean container). If you have done any of these things, you can still get a forensic examination but it is harder to collect evidence.

If you wish, the centre can also arrange for you for speak to a specially trained police officer who can explain next steps if you want to report the assault. If you do report, specially trained advisors can support you through the criminal justice system and through the trial if the case goes to court.

You don’t have to have a forensics medical examination but it can be useful evidence if the case goes to court. DNA, evidence of spiking and loose hair can be collected. You can decide at by stage if you would like this examination to be conducted but there is more chance of collecting evidence if you do it sooner.

A doctor or a nurse will take samples. You can choose to have some or all of these, it is your choice. They will take swabs from anywhere you have been kissed, touched or had anything inserted. They might also take hair, urine and blood tests. If they need to retain your clothing, they will give you new clothes. They may also take photographs of any injuries. The doctor or nurse explain what they are going to do before and during the examination. They won’t do anything without your consent. You can stop altogether if it gets too much or you change your mind.

Reporting to the police

If you decide to report, a specially trained police officer in supporting people who have been sexually assaulted will talk to you and help to make sure you understand what is going on at each stage.

The police will investigate the assault. If you haven’t already had one, you will be offered a forensic medical examination. You will be asked to make a statement about what happened, they will write this down which you check and sign. They will pass their finding and the forensic report to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who will decide whether the case will go to trial. For more information, read Report to Court: A handbook for adult survivors of sexual violence by Rights for Women.

Your details will be kept as confidential as possible but if there is an investigation and or criminal prosecution, this information is disclosable meaning it has to be produced in court. If there is neither of these, information about you will not be shared to other services without permission unless there is a concern that you or anyone else is at risk of serious harm.

If you’re worried about a child

If you’re worried about a child, talk to a professional who can make sure they are safe. You can talk to someone from the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) (find the contact info by searching MASH in your area), a social worker, the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or the police. In an emergency always call 999.

If you were a victim of childhood sexual abuse

CSA is involving a child in any kind of sexual activity, including contact abuse, which is when the abuser makes physical contact with a child or non-contact abuse, which includes things like indecent exposure, making a child perform or watch sexual activity or making pornographic images. It’s important to remember that it is never your fault.

A lot of this abuse will not be reported as the abuser makes the victim feel like it’s their fault, the victim does not have a safe person to tell or families cover it up due to feelings of shame or embarrassment.

Everyone is different and responds to trauma in their own way. Emotional and mental health difficulties are common with many issues lasting into adulthood. There may be lifelong flashbacks, anxiety, sleep issues and more especially when victims have children themselves, have medical procedures or engage in sex.

You are not alone and there is help available. For free advice and support you can contact the National Association for People Abused in Childhood by calling 0808 801 0331 (available Monday to Thursday 10am-9pm and Friday 10am-6pm), emailing support@napac.org.uk or visiting their website.

Spiking

Spiking is when alcohol or drugs have been put into your drink without your knowledge. If you think your drink has been spiked call 111 for medical advice and then contact the police to tell them what happened. If you think you have been spiked and need urgent help or feel unsafe call 999. Some bar staff will also know what to do to assist you, you can also speak to them if you need help.

If you have been spiked or injected with an unknown substance and think you’ve been sexually assaulted, you can go to your nearest SARC for specialist care and support, the GP, A&E or sexual health clinic.

Revenge porn

Revenge Porn is the sharing of private sexually explicit images without consent to cause distress. Sometimes this is accompanied by personal information including name, address or links to the victims social media profile. The offence applies to both online and offline images. Sexually explicit can include anything that a reasonable person would consider to be sexual, not just nudity. The Revenge Porn Helpline and email help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk can help you get images taken down but make sure you save direct URL (website addresses) of places where you have seen your image. You can directly report it to the website you have seen it on as most have rules against these images. You can also report to the police via their website, 101 or by going directly to a police station.

Supporting a victim of sexual assault

Believe what they’re saying and tell them you believe them
Offer support such as asking if they want you to accompany them to appointments, get emergency contraception etc
Respect their decisions including whether they want to report it to police
Ask before hugging or touching them
Allow time and space