What To do after an assault
First of all, know that everything is going to be okay
There are people out there who want to help you and guide you through this difficult time in your life.
Step 1
Physical – Go to the emergency department of a nearby hospital
Go to the emergency department of a nearby hospital. It is important to do this as soon after an assault as possible. In the case of a sexual assault, the medical staff will make sure you did not get any STD’s and give you a Rape kit. This is basically a kit of medication to prevent any possible STD’s you could have gotten from spreading in your body, it also includes the morning after pill. You will also get a hepatitis B vaccine. A gynaecologist will check whether you have any physical damage. Any other immediate physical injury will be taken care of in the case of a physical assault, depending on its nature. Before addressing any psychological issues or taking legal action, it is important to make sure that your physical health is intact. You are likely to be particularly vulnerable at this point in time, therefore if this is in any way possible, please take someone you know and feel safe with along. Nurses can be discrete and professional, however possibly not the most empathetic. Therefore, having someone you trust by your side is important to make the experience less traumatic. If you decide to press charges, the forensic team will take pictures of the parts of your body that have been affected.
Step 2
Legal – Chose whether or not you want to press charges.
In most current legal systems around the world, pressing charges is very emotionally charging for the victims themselves. So before pressing charges, please think carefully about whether this is the best option for you.
At the hospital, you will be asked whether or not you want to press charges. Before you make a decision however, it is important to realise what the legal process implies. Below you will find steps describing the legal process if you decide to press charges.
1. The police will come to pick you up at the hospital. They will take you to the police station so that you can make a statement describing exactly what happened from your point of view.
2. If your story categorises into a type of assault that is punishable by law, they will drive with you to the location where the crime took place to collect any evidence. This could be anything that could be of value if the case pursues such as clothes you or the perpetrator were wearing or bed sheets. Additionally, if you have any contact details of the perpetrator, you will have to give those to the police.
3. They will most likely try to locate the person and temporarily arrest them. In case you do not want to personally see the perpetrator, explicitly say that to the police officers. You could be called back to the police station to identify them.
4. Most likely, the day after, there will be a hearing at the court, where both you and the perpetrator, as well as any potential witnesses will be asked to make a statement to the judge about the event. This is purely to decide whether or not the perpetrator should be detained in prison until the case goes to trial. He will most likely only remain detained if he still poses a direct threat at that point in time or sufficient evidence has been collected already.
5. From here, it can take up to a year before the case goes to trial.
Step 3
Psychological – Get Psychological Help Immediately
As being a victim of any type of assault is likely to be highly traumatic, getting psychological help that will navigate what is happening to you, why it is happening, and how you can process it is of upmost importance. You might not realise the effects of trauma on your life initially, so getting help can be highly supportive.
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