How to Report Sexual Abuse to the Police

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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If you have been the victim of rape, you have the right to press criminal charges.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Report the incident to your local police department. (Or your campus police if you are a student.)
Step 2

Ask a friend or family member to accompany you for moral support.
Step 3

Provide all the facts.
Step 4

Try to remain calm, so you will be seen as credible, not hysterical.
Step 5

Seek medical attention before you clean yourself up. A health care professional can collect evidence that will back your story.
Step 6

Weigh all the consequences involved with pressing charges.
Step 7

Find a good lawyer to guide you on how to proceed.
Step 8

Understand that your personal life could be aired publicly if you go to court. This can be very painful.
Step 9

Try to remain strong through the process. Remember that you may help stop a rapist from striking again by sharing your story.
Step 10

Consider the option of suing the attacker instead of - or along with - pressing criminal charges.

Tips & Warnings

Remember that date rape can be difficult to prove, since weapons are rarely used and it is a case of one person's word against another's.
Realize that some colleges and universities allow you to file a complaint with the school against the attacker if he or she is a student there.
Understand that men can be rape victims as well as women, although this is not as common.

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