Forensic medical examination

When you report a recent sexual assault, you will usually be seen by a police officer (whom you may specify to be male or female) within a couple of hours. This officer will take an initial account of the incident; this should be done in private and, wherever possible, it will be taken by a specially trained officer.

If you report an assault that happened in the past, the police will usually arrange for a uniformed officer to attend your home in order to take an initial report at a time that is convenient for you. You will then be contacted by a specialist officer once this initial report has been processed, to arrange a full and detailed statement to be taken at a police station.

If you report a sexual assault within the forensic timeframe, the police will ask you to use an early evidence kit which enables you (not a police officer or anyone else) to take non-intimate samples, such as mouth swabs or urine samples in order to preserve the evidence.

The police officer will then arrange to take you to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for a forensic medical examination. In a few areas, where a SARC is too far away, the police will arrange for the doctor to see you in a special sympathy suite at the police station.

During the forensic medical examination, a specially trained examiner will take samples of your saliva, urine, blood and pubic hair, and swabs from any area that the attacker came into contact with including your mouth, rectum and genitals. You are advised not to wash yourself, brush your teeth, have a cigarette, eat, drink, change your clothes, go to the toilet, nor clear up anything in the area of the incident before you have been seen by the SARC and/or the police. Samples collected from you, from your clothes or from the scene of the assault may then be sent for testing by a forensic scientist.

In addition to taking these samples you will also be examined for injuries such as internal bruising or cuts. Any injuries that are found will be recorded and, if they are visible, they may be photographed with your consent. However, it is important to note that you do not need visible signs of injury to prove that you have been assaulted.

The forensic medical examination cannot take place without your agreement, and you can agree to some parts of the examination and decline others. You can stop the examination at any time. The appointment with the doctor will take around two to three hours but only about 20-30 minutes of that time will be the medical examination itself. You can ask a friend or family member to come with you to the SARC if you wish.

Formal Statement

After the examination, the police officer will arrange to take a formal statement from you about the assault. This is usually done as soon as possible if you are feeling up to it, but it may be postponed by several days depending on the circumstances. The interview is usually video recorded and will last as long as is necessary to get all of the relevant information. It will go at a pace that is comfortable to you, with breaks as and when you need them. At the beginning of your interview, you will be asked for your personal details, such as where you live, your age and occupation. You will then be given the opportunity to describe what happened to you.

Details that the police may enquire about include:

• approximately what time the assault happened

• where it happened

• the sequence of events leading up to the assault

• if you know who did this to you and where they may be

• any conversations that could be relevant

• any details about the identity and/or appearance of the attacker

• any injuries that you received

• what you have done since the assault

• whether you have told anyone else about the assault

• whether there were any witnesses either before or after the incident

The police may also ask you if you consumed alcohol or drugs before the incident to determine whether or not you had the capacity to consent to sexual activity, and whether or not you are able to be sure about what happened. However, your answer should never affect the police’s response to you.

Your video statement will usually be shown to a court if there is a trial. If your statement is not video recorded, your account will be recorded by a police officer and written up into a statement which you will be given the opportunity to read and approve before signing. This statement may be used as the main piece of evidence if your case goes to trial.

What to expect if you report a sexual assault