If you have just been raped you may be feeling many things. Some survivors report that they feel numb or shocked, confused or frightened or fragile or angry. There is no right or wrong way to feel. It might be helpful for you to know that many survivors report that these feelings do not last.
At the moment if you have just been raped you do have choices open to you.
Women who have just been raped in Brighton and Hove can choose to go to the Saturn Centre in Crawley. This is a specialist sexual assault referral centre. Here staff specifically trained in sexual assaults can medically examine you, check you for STIs, provide emergency contraception (should you wish it). They can also collect forensic evidence. This doesn’t mean that you have to report to the police, it can be frozen to give you time to decide if you want to report to the police or it can be passed anonymously to the police.
If you do go to the Saturn Centre they will ask to keep the clothes you were wearing at the time of the assault so try to remember to take a spare set of clothes with you.
If you do decide to report to the police you can do this at the Saturn Centre.
You might find it useful to talk to a trusted friend or family member to share what’s happened with you and to get their perspective on your experience. A trip to the Saturn Centre may be intimidating and so you might find it helpful to have a supporter with you.
You can call Survivors’ Network where specially trained workers will support you in making a decision as to what to do next. At Survivors’ Network we can offer telephone and e-mail support. We are also expanding our services to offer 1-1 counselling, group work and advocacy.
You can also choose to do nothing now. If you feel that it would be useful for you to take time and to think about the options open to you then that is a perfectly valid decision.
If you would like to preserve any forensic evidence then it is important, as hard as it might be, not to wash. Do not scrub or clean yourself, do not brush your teeth or have anything to eat or drink. If you go to the toilet then collect any urine in a clean jar. Your clothes may contain evidence as well so if you undress then keep your clothes in a clean plastic bag – don’t wash them. If you have any bruises or marks they may fade after a few days to preserve this evidence you could think about asking a trusted friend to take photos.
A useful link:
The website of the sexual assault referral centre, www.saturncentre.org. The Saturn Centre provides a range of services to anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted. |
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