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Sexual assault takes many forms including attacks such as rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Usually a sexual assault occurs when someone touches any part of another person’s body in a sexual way, even through clothes, without that person’s consent. Some types of sexual acts which fall under the category of sexual assault include forced sexual intercourse (rape), sodomy (oral or anal sexual acts), child molestation, incest, fondling and attempted rape. Sexual assault in any form is often a devastating crime. Assailants can be strangers, acquaintances, friends, or family members. Assailants commit sexual assault by way of violence, threats, coercion, manipulation, pressure or tricks. Whatever the circumstances, no one asks or deserves to be sexually assaulted (adapted from the National Center for Victims of Crime).
If You are a Victim:
- Get to a safe place.
- Do not shower, bathe, wash your hands, brush your teeth, use the toilet or clean up in any way. You could destroy evidence.
- Do not change or destroy clothing. Your clothes are evidence.
- If it was in your home, do not rearrange and/or clean up anything. You could destroy evidence.
- Get medical attention as soon as possible. (Evidence should be collected when you get to the hospital.)
- Contact a friend or family member you trust or call the local rape crisis center hotline.
- Most of all, know this is not your fault.
You Have A Right To:
- Determine whether to report the crime to the police
- Ask for a female police officer if you choose to report
- 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
- Request that someone accompany you in the examination room
- Be considered a rape victim/survivor regardless of the rapist's relationship to you
What happened is NOT your fault and you are not alone.
Adapted from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (www.taasa.org)
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