Sex Crimes Unit
Investigative Section-Sexual Assault Squad
How to report
Third Party Reporting
If you know someone who has been sexually assaulted you
may want to consider “third party reporting”
Often a victim of sexual assault will be fearful of reporting the incident
to hospital staff or the police for a variety of different reasons.
As a friend, you will have the victim’s best interest at heart but
may not know exactly what to do. When helping a victim decide about reporting
or not, the following points should be considered;
Seek medical attention immediately if necessary, a hospital or
family doctor.
The victim may have injuries that he or she is unaware of. The victim may
want to report and press charges immediately or some time in the
future, so it is very important to gather evidence to be stored
if a decision is made at a later date to report to police. More
evidence can be collected if the victim hasn’t
yet showered, urinated or cleaned themselves and their clothes.
There is also the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
You can direct the victim to go into the sexual Assault/Domestic
Violence Care Centre at the Women’s College site and be given information,
support and/or medical attention.
If a victim does not wish to have an investigation commenced on their behalf
and attends a hospital for medical attention, hospital staff are able to
pass information on to the police without involving the victim. Hospital
staff will complete and forward a “Third Party Sexual Assault
Report” to police. The purpose of this report is to assist
police in identifying Sexual Assault Offenders, the police will
not contact the victim.
Consider contacting the police, sexual assault is a crime.
Encourage the victim to take some course of action. Encourage the victim
to report this crime to the police. Dispel the myth that the police will
not believe him or her.
Be supportive and listen to her in an empathetic, non-judgmental manner.
Ask her what she needs from you and respond accordingly. Let her know that
you care and that you want to listen. She may just want you to listen, or
she may not want to talk about it.
Don’t assume anything. Always ask her. Remember
that you are not her counsellor. There are trained professionals who have
experience working with sexual assault survivors. Do not promise to be there
for her anytime unless you mean to go through with it. She needs honesty
from you.
Let her know that she is not to blame. No one asks to
be assaulted. The perpetrator is responsible for his violent behaviour,
Not the victim. Sexual violence represents the expression of power, control
and / or hostility. It is a crime that has been committed against her.
Asking her questions like “why did you get into the car with him?” or
telling her that she should not have had so much to drink, are not helpful
because they will further cause her to blame herself for what happened.
Instead, statements like, “you needed a ride. You were not asking
to be assaulted,” are non-blaming and show that you support her.
Validate her experience.
Remind her that she is strong and courageous – it takes a lot of
strength to survive sexual violence. Also, she may be experiencing any number
of emotions. Validate what she is feeling and how she is responding / coping.
Let her know that these are natural, given what she has experienced.
Help her identify who in her immediate circle might also support
her.
Encourage her to talk about it with someone she trusts. Help her figure
out whom, if anyone, among her friends and family she would feel
comfortable telling this to. Let her know that many women feel
better after they talk to someone who has experience working with
survivors of sexual assault and who are not judgemental.
If a victim believes she is not to blame, has done nothing wrong and
will be supported throughout the ordeal of reporting a sexual assault
to any agency, she is more likely to come forward.
…some of the above information was taken from the Literature
For Life Publication “Yo’ Mamma, written by young mothers for
young mothers. www.literatureforlife.org
******VISIT OUR VICTIM RESOURCES AND LINKS FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE
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