This is not your fault. It is always the fault of the offender.
What to do if you have been assaulted:
- Get to a safe place as soon as possible. Your immediate safety is first.
- Call a friend or family member; someone you trust, for support.
- Call UASA 24/7 Hotline for support. 707-545-7273 – speak confidentially with a victim advocate:
707-545-RAPE.
- Get immediate medical attention. Medical care is important, to protect you from sexually transmitted diseases and to attend to any injuries. A medical exam is also an important part of the evidence collection needed to file a police report. Evidence should be collected within 72 hours. An advocate can meet you at the designated hospital in Santa Rosa, CA. The advocate can stay with you to provide support and answer questions.
To reach an advocate at any time call 707-545-7273.
- Call the police. Reporting the assault to the police is a matter of choice. If you decide not to go to the police right away, write down everything you can remember about what happened and save it in case you change your mind later.
- If you think you may want to press legal charges:
- DO NOT bathe
- DO NOT brush your teeth, smoke, eat or drink
- DO NOT change your clothes (but do take a change of clothes with you to the hospital)
- Evidence should be collected within 72 hours.
- See “Reasons to Report”
Remember: Sexual Assault is NOT your fault.
You have a right to:
- be treated with dignity, courtesy and respect
- determine whether to report the crime to the police
- ask for a female police officer if you choose to report
- demand privacy when meeting with a counselor or a police officer
- have a personal support person present during interviews
- locate an attorney to represent you (the prosecutor is not your attorney)
- sue the rapist in civil court for money
- refuse to have evidence collected
- have a sexual assault counselor/victim advocate accompany you to medical, law enforcement and legal proceedings. penal code 679.04
- be considered a rape victim/survivor regardless of the rapist's relationship to you
- not be judged because of race, age, class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities or occupation
- ask any questions AND GET ANSWERS about tests, exams, medications, treatment or police reports
- voice complaints and expect to have them heard and accepted
Make sure you understand any forms you are asked to sign. Ask about any necessary follow-up care and testing.
Please consider:
- Immediate Confidential Support: UASA's hotline offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in English and Spanish 707-545-7273.
- Counseling: Free counseling is available to you and to those closest to you. It is never too late to get help.
- Accompaniment: UASA’s Advocates go to court with victims to lend support and give information.
- Support: UASA offers support groups and skill building groups in addition to individual counseling.
UASA's counseling and advocacy services are free to victims. Please call 707-545-7270 for details.
Reactions to Sexual Assault:
As a survivor of sexual assault you may find yourself having some of the following feelings:
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Denial
- Depression
- Doubt
- Embarrassment
- Fear
- Flashbacks
- Isolation
- Nightmares
- Powerlessness
- Self-blame
- Shame
- Sleep Disorders
All of these feelings are normal. UASA’s crisis line counselors are available 24/7 to help you overcome the devastating effects of sexual violence.
You are not alone, UASA is only a phone call away. 707-545-7273.
Try to remember:
You are not at fault for what happened. You did not deserve it. You are alive, you have survived, and now is the time to begin the process of recovery. Reaching out and accepting support is part of the healing process. Call UASA for help.
Reasons to report the assault to the police:
- Reporting within 72 hours of the assault will allow for valuable evidence to be collected. Should your case be prosecuted, this increases the chances of apprehending the suspect and successfully prosecuting.
- By allowing survivors to take action against the perpetrator of this violent crime, reporting gives survivors back some of their personal control.
- Reporting is empowering; it gives survivors a chance to discuss what has happened.
- Reporting the crime will ensure that medical expenses, including a forensic medical exam and costs for emergency care, may be paid by public compensation funds.
- Reporting and prosecuting are essential to sexual assault prevention and the protection of other potential victims by stopping or deterring repeat offenders.
- Reporting attests to the fact that sexual assault really happens and that this crime will not be suffered in silence.
Remember, you are not alone.
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