It is your choice to report the assault to the police. Before you decide, you can ask to discuss your options with a nurse, the police, and a sexual assault counsellor.
The main reasons why the police want to hear about what happened to you as soon as possible are:
- Your memory of the event is better.
- There may be forensic evidence of the sexual assault that can be collected.
- There may be witnesses nearby who remember hearing or seeing something.
- Police may be able to take action to protect you.
- The offender may have committed other sexual assaults. Your evidence may help police to identify this person and stop them from doing it again.
Police will take some brief details from you to make a record of the crime. Once you make a complaint you can still choose whether you go on to make a statement.