What you can do if you've been sexually assaulted

broken_heart4010 wrote:today I found out that i'm pregnant

I got your PM hon, do you know what you plan to do?

To comment on the original post, I was raped while studying at Brock University. The service that Canadian hospitals provided (in this case the Student Health Services and St Catharines general) was extraoridinary.

The staff in these departments are extremely well trained and knowledgeable.

I just wanted to give a little more information on the Third Party Report.

This is done with a social worker within the department. They take all the info you can remember about your attacker; smells, clothes, hair etc. At any point you can take a break, and in my case, the social worker did some appointments with me beforehand, to make sure I was prepared for it. The report is then typed up by the social worker and the information is submitted to the police. If you have a name, this will go against the person's record, although it wont be an official mark on his record. Basically, it acts as a marker and if they see other reports of that kind against the person's name, then they would choose to act on it.

I think in that case, they would then contact all the victims, and see if they would give evidence etc against the person...but it can be anonymous if you wish. In that case it would probably come back through the SA/DV department you were treated at.

Also, Im assuming most SA/DV departments now offer HIV prevention medicine.

My advice on this, is that it is a horrible procedure, but for 4 weeks (I think), it is well worth it, in case anything has been transmitted. After a little well you do get used to them , and you and your body adjusts things like eating habits in order to accomodate them.

hope this helps anyone in the future.

Fantastic advice hon.

I'm sorry about what happened to you, that's horrible.

My boyfriends brother and my cousin both go to Brock.

Thank you for sharing this. I'm sure it'll help out someone.

"today I found out that i'm pregnant"

You sound very surprised. Hope it was planned.


In other news:
I've often wondered what percentage of sexual crimes go unreported?

in order to avoid rape or any kind of sexual assult one must has strong determenation and awarness of surroundings. phsically one may not be that strong but one must have a strong will power to deal with these kind of issues.
_________________________________________

James
http://www.addictionrecovery.net/alabama

Seems I'm almost four years late in speaking about this topic, given the original OP's input.
Back is late August 1979 when I was gang-raped and tortured at gunpoint there was no such thing as a medical "Special Nursing Team" under the acronym S.A.N.E. "Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner". In my small city and my province no such need for an allocated specialized medical team of compassionate doctors and nurses for Sexual Assault and Rape Victims until 2003.

The official S.A.N.E. program began in the Unites States in 1999. For the most part though it was a program initiated for victimized women. But the main thrust of the S.A.N.E. program was to initiate ("Increased Legal Prosecution of Sexual Assault Cases"). http://new.vawnet.org/category/Main_Doc.php?docid=417

As an Asexual/Heterosexual man victimized by a savage gang-rape in the past; I often ask myself if I had been gang-raped today, would I personally seek S.A.N.E. services in a hospital? Hmm; given my overall experiences with a number of medical staff who know of my gang-rape experience and mental health problems in my medical charts, and though perhaps my answer might seem cynical or negative but as a person today despite my outward male appearance, who has No! real tangible Sexual Identity to cling to. My answer would be a definitive NO to seeing a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
Sure it might add increased legal prosecution in sexual assault and rape cases. But one really has to ask ("Would such cases leading to the imprisonment of rapists lessen the incredible high statistical occurrence of rapes that happen every damned year?")
I honestly don't think it would. Yes; you get another human animalistic predator off the street. But what else does it really achieve? Personal satisfaction from the rapist knowing that their assailants are in prison? Maybe! But it doesn't take away the pain and stigma of the rape victim. I don't know; for me it wouldn't add a thing to my resolve or stigma. But that's just me and the heavy pain in my heart talking.

Peace
Chris

I know this is a bit after the fact,but if you report it and they are punished it might help their next victim. Its not fool proof but if they are in prison thats a period of time in which they cant hurt someone else. And even if they arent persecuted if you have their info and a report is filed then next time when it happens (statistically they will do it again) then there is a trail, and they will be punished when there is more then one report. It will help someone else from getting hurt even if it doesnt help us.

I couldn't agree more 'Shadows', the reporting of sexual assualts is something we can all do and it would help protect further potential victims as I like many who have suffered such abuse would definately rather having not been subjected to it.

Maybe if someboy had reported my abuser this wouldn't have happened to me... I know in my case it was rather difficult because of a lot of factors but there are some who will find it easier to report those who do this horrible thing.

Cyber law has a long ways to go before it's as concrete in criminal matters as other mediums, but even now making threats is a prosecutable/actionable offense. Threatening someone's life in an email can be persued criminally. With all the online bullying stuff going on, cyber crimes and law are making great strides. If someone's threatening you in emails, save them and inform your local police department. Can even file a report online with FBI here:

http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx

To comment on the what to do original post, in one of m criminal investigation courses we were told them evidence goes into a PAPER bag and not PLASTIC especially the items containing fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva. Paper is used for items that need to breath and blood in plastic will putrefy and the evidence will be ruined. Also Paper is often used because plastic bags have static electricity which sometime can ruin evidence.