Three affirmations are often given to people who experience sexual assault: It’s not your fault. You’re not alone. There’s help.
Survivors of sexual assault may experience many emotions after an incident, but there are resources available to those who reach out.
Resources may vary for different cases of sexual assault
Nilda Valmores, Executive Director of My Sister’s House, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence, described the range emotions that a victim of sexual assault can go through when an incident occurs.
- Confusion
- Depression
- Self-bullying
- Nervousness
- Anxiety
- Frustration
- Concern about how they perceived by others
What survivors can do
Valmores said that one of the most important things a person can do is connect with someone specifically trained to handle sexual cases.
“They should be looking for someone that they can talk to, someone that they can talk to and that can listen to them and affirm what their needs are,” Valmores said.
However, the resource a sexual assault survivor needs may differ depending on the person. Some people may be able to find benefits in a support group, a restraining order, legal services, or even a shelter.
For some cases it can even be matter of getting medical attention, depending on the degree and what happened in regard to the sexual assault, Valmores said.
Reporting
When reporting a sexual assault incident to the police, it's important to remember that the police department is seeking any information that will help them track down the suspect. Details like where the location, any involvement of vehicles, and even how a potential suspect was contacted can go a long way in helping an investigation.
“If you have the opportunity to save the clothing that you were wearing, we recommend not washing it, to save it [and] to give to the police,” said Officer Linda Matthews, spokesperson for Sacramento Police Department.
Matthews added that even not showering can go a long way for preserving evidence for an evidentiary exam to help a case. While it's recommended by Matthews that survivors report incidents immediately, she also acknowledges that police are aware of the difficulty there can be in coming forward.
“We understand that a lot of victims aren’t ready to report the incident right after it occurs, so we just encourage them to report it when they’re ready,” Matthews said.
It's a position echoed by some organizations that provide support for sexual assault survivors, who tend to focus more on the needs of the survivor, rather than the prosecution of the suspect.
“Ideally, in terms of preserving evidence, in terms of a lawsuit for a case, it would be helpful for people to report earlier,” said Valmores. “For us, we’re more concerned about the person. So we recognize that sometimes they’re so traumatized that they can’t reach out for help. They do the best that they can with their emotions and their trauma and for some it may take years before they are willing to say something.”
What happens after the report
Depending on when the report was made, there may be a difference in what to expect as the police investigate. If the incident is recent enough for an evidentiary exam to be take, then they may go to a hospital shortly after reporting and possibly even have their statement taken there.
In situations where the incident is reported a long time after the assault, the police may end up taking the statement at their house or over the phone.
“We understand that a lot of times victims are embarrassed to report this, and maybe that might be the reason why they take a little bit longer to do so. But we take all of these cases seriously,” Matthews said.
Survivors may not have to worry about getting all the information conveyed at once when they report it. Matthews says that it is common for officers to conduct a primary interview, but allow them to contact police again later if they remember new information.
Officers also have training in handling these situations, and can be sensitive to the dynamics involved in a sexual assault case. They carry pamphlets with various resources for survivors and know about the different resources provided in the Sacramento area.
