Hesperian Health Guides
What to Do if You Have Been Raped or Sexually Assaulted
HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 19: Rape and Sexual Violence > What to Do if You Have Been Raped
- Do not blame yourself. What happened was not your fault.
- Go to a safe place like a friend’s house or a public place with other people—somewhere away from your attacker, where you are not alone, and where you feel safe.
- Get support. Call someone you trust. You do not have to go through this alone.
- Get medical attention as soon as possible to treat any injuries and get medicines to prevent infections and pregnancy.
- Decide if you want to report the assault to the police. To help you decide, see below for information to consider.
Do not blame yourself. You did not deserve to be raped. There was nothing you did that made it right for a man to force sex on you.
If someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted
- Make sure they are physically safe.
- Tell them what happened was not their fault.
- Be supportive and listen without judgment. Believe what they tell you and validate their feelings.
- Respect their wishes for privacy and safety. Do not tell anyone unless they want you to.
- Go with them to see a health worker, get mental health care, see a lawyer, report the assault to the police, or anything else they want to do.
- Be patient. Respect their needs and give them time to heal. Keep supporting them throughout their healing process.
- Do not protect the attacker. This person is a danger to everyone in the community.
- Take care of yourself and get support if you need it.
Laws about sexual assault and rape vary. Before going to the police, it helps to know your rights as a victim, the local laws, and who to talk to for more information. If the assault was at school, learn about your school policies. Also consider:
- How have the police treated other people in the community who reported assaults?
- Will the police can keep your report private if you want them to?
- How will the attacker be punished if caught?
If there is no health worker who can treat you, the information below can help you prevent and treat some of the problems yourself.
If you report a rape to the police, do it as soon as possible. Do not bathe, change clothes, or comb your hair before going to the police station. This can help prove you were assaulted. Ask a person you trust to go with you and a woman health worker to examine you.
If you are not ready or choose not to go to the police, you may want to file a report later. Get medical help, even if you have no injuries, and tell them you were raped. You should be examined and given medicines to prevent pregnancy and STIs. Ask them to write down their findings and give you a copy. Include the date and time of the assault, where it happened, if there were witnesses, and how the attacker looked, including details like height, scars, tattoos, and clothing. Keep your papers in a safe place, along with everything from the assault, like your clothes and anything the attacker wore or touched (put these in plastic bags)
If you give care to someone who has been raped:
Treat them with kindness and understanding. Do not blame them. They may find it difficult for you to see or touch them, so explain everything you will do and wait until they are ready to be touched.
Treat their health problems. Give medicines to prevent STIs, HIV, and pregnancy. If the person is already pregnant, help them decide what they want to do.
Keep careful records of what you find. If your clinic does not keep records, make one and keep it somewhere safe. Draw a picture of the front and back of their body and mark the places where they are injured. Explain what you have written and that it can be used as evidence if they go to the police.
Care for their mental health. Ask them if they have someone to talk to, and help them find mental health support if they want it.
Help them make their own decisions. If they want to go to the police, help them find legal services. Connect them with other community services for rape survivors.
Offer support for telling partners or family when they are ready. Help others learn about and find ways to support the person’s recovery. Remember, family members may also need support themselves.
If you go to the police
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| In some countries, women have worked with the police to have specially trained female police officers to help victims of rape and violence. |
Always take someone with you to the police.
In most places, rape is a crime. But after reporting it, getting justice is not certain and may take years. Proving that someone raped you can be very difficult and sometimes even dangerous. Always have someone you trust go with you to the police and the courts.
The police will ask you what happened. If you know the rapist, tell them who it is. If you do not, you will describe what he looks like. The police may ask you to go with them to find the rapist. You may also be asked to get a medical exam from a doctor who works with the police. This is not an exam to help you get well, but to help prove that you were raped.
If police arrest the rapist, you will have to identify him, either in front of the police or in front of a judge in court. If there is a trial, try to find a lawyer who has worked with rape cases before. The lawyer will tell you what to expect and help you prepare for the trial.
Going to court for a rape is never easy. You will have to remember and describe what happened over and over again. Not everyone will be supportive and understanding. Some may try to blame you or say you are lying.