Report rape and sexual assault

Rape and sexual assault is a crime regardless of your sex, gender or sexuality. Being pressured or forced to have sex or engage in sexual activity when you do not want to is a serious crime.

If you have been sexually assaulted, whether as an adult or a young person, there is help and support available to you whether you choose to report it to the police or not. Ultimately the decision to report the crime is yours.

Report it to the police

If you wish, you can report the crime to the police:

• Fill in the online form
• Call us on 999
• Visit your local police station

If possible:

• Keep the clothes (including underwear and sanitary products) you were wearing and do not wash them – they may contain evidence needed for the investigation
• Try not to shower as there may be evidence the police can use

Report non-recent cases

If the rape or sexual assault happened a long time ago, you can still report this to the police by calling 101.

Report it to a support group

If you do not want to report it to the police, you can contact independent support groups for advice and support. None of these organisations will make you report the assault to the police if you do not want to.

What happens after a report is made?

Anonymous reports

Intelligence checks will be conducted on suspect details to identify whether any safeguarding needs to be undertaken to protect other people.

If you have not provided your details we will not be able to contact you after checks have been made on the suspect and the circumstances of the allegation. This means the report will be filed.

Recent incidents

We may need to take you to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to collect forensic evidence.

We may ask you not to shower and to keep any clothing, underwear and sanitary products you were wearing at the time of the assault, or immediately after, because they may provide forensic evidence.

The report may be transferred directly to the Control Room to ensure a police officer makes contact with you as soon as possible to collect evidence and to arrange safeguarding if you are considered ‘vulnerable’.

Non-recent incidents

The crime will be allocated to the relevant investigations team, unless there are immediate safeguarding concerns or urgent policing actions which need to be carried out first.

The investigations team will contact you within 5 days to take further details about the allegation.