Rape, Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse Support

There is no single right thing to do, and nothing you did or did not do makes what happened your fault.

• If you are in danger or badly hurt, call 999.
• If you want specialist care and information, contact a SARC (see the panel above). You do not need to report to the police first.
• If you are unsure who to contact, call 111 in England, Wales or Scotland at any hour, or use NHS 111 online.
• You can ask somebody you trust to make the first call, or to sit with you while you make it.

Injuries should be treated as soon as possible. For serious injuries, heavy bleeding, breathing difficulty, head injury or loss of consciousness, call 999 or go to A&E. For injuries that are not an emergency, a SARC, a GP, an urgent treatment centre or NHS 111 can help.

Please never delay urgent medical treatment for any other reason. Health comes first, and clinicians are used to caring for people in this situation.

Emergency contraception can be arranged if there is a risk of pregnancy. It is more effective the sooner it is started, and different methods have different time windows, so it is worth asking quickly even if you are unsure.

It can be arranged by a SARC, a sexual health clinic, many pharmacies, a GP surgery or, out of hours, by NHS 111 or A&E. A clinician will explain which options are suitable — we do not give medicine names or doses here.

Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are free and confidential. A SARC or a sexual health clinic can arrange them.

NHS inform explains that most infections take a few weeks to show up in a test, so a clinician may offer treatment straight away and testing later, and will explain what further tests may be needed and when.

PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, is emergency medication that may reduce the chance of HIV after a possible exposure. NHS inform states that PEP should be taken as soon as possible and can be taken up to 72 hours after exposure, and that the earlier it is taken the more effective it is.

Only a clinician can decide whether PEP is appropriate, so an early assessment matters. It can be arranged by a SARC, a sexual health service or, out of hours, by A&E. If you are past 72 hours, please still ask for an assessment — other care and testing are available.

A pregnancy test can be arranged by a SARC, sexual health service or GP, and repeated later if needed. If a pregnancy is confirmed, you are entitled to unhurried, non-judgemental information about all of your options, and to support with whatever you decide.

Follow-up appointments are normally offered for testing, vaccination where appropriate, and emotional support. You can accept or decline any part of this.

A SARC is a dedicated NHS or NHS-commissioned service. Depending on where you are, it may offer:

• a private, calm place to talk with specially trained staff
• medical care, including treatment for injuries
• emergency contraception, STI testing and HIV risk assessment
• a forensic medical examination, if you choose to have one
• information about reporting to the police, without pressure either way
• referral to counselling and to an adviser or advocate who can support you afterwards

You can contact a SARC whether or not you want to involve the police, and you can change your mind later.

A forensic medical examination is a careful health check during which samples may be taken. It is entirely your choice. Nothing happens without your consent, you can ask what each step involves, you can ask for a pause or a break, and you can stop at any point or change your mind.

In Scotland, NHS inform explains that people aged 16 and over can self-refer for an examination without reporting to the police, and that samples are stored for 26 months (two years and two months) so there is time to decide whether to report. Samples are not tested unless a report is made. Arrangements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are explained by the SARC you contact.

You can ask about the sex or gender of the examining clinician and about accessibility or communication support. Services try hard to meet these requests, but no service can promise every preference at every hour, so please ask what is possible.

You can still receive care and support. Washing, showering, changing clothes, going to the toilet, eating, drinking, brushing your teeth or sleeping are ordinary human things to do, and none of them was wrong.

Medical care, testing, emotional support and specialist advice do not depend on any of this. A clinician can also explain what forensic options may still be possible — different types of sample and different treatments have different timescales, and there is no single deadline. The only thing we would ask is not to delay urgent medical care.

Help is available however long ago it happened. Many people first look for support years later, often after something brings it back, and that is a very common experience.

Specialist services support people for non-recent abuse: Rape Crisis centres, The Survivors Trust member services, SurvivorsUK, NAPAC for adults abused in childhood, Nexus in Northern Ireland and Rape Crisis Scotland's local centres. A GP or sexual health service can also arrange a health check. Reporting to the police remains possible at any time, and there is no time limit for reporting a sexual offence.

In everyday use, rape means non-consensual penetration of a person's body. The precise legal definition, the acts it covers and the way an offence is charged differ between England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and there are separate offences such as assault by penetration.

You do not need to know whether what happened meets a legal definition before asking for help. Support services and SARCs do not ask you to label it.

Sexual assault generally means intentional sexual touching of another person without their consent. It covers a wide range of acts, and it does not need to involve injury, force or penetration to be a serious crime and to deserve support.

Sexual abuse describes sexual behaviour towards a person without their consent, or towards a child, often over a period of time and often by somebody known to them. It can involve touching, non-contact acts, being made to watch or take part in sexual activity, or online abuse. A child cannot consent to their own abuse.

Sexual harassment means unwanted sexual behaviour that violates a person's dignity or makes them feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated. It may include comments, messages, images, gestures or persistent unwanted attention, and it can happen at work, at school, in public or online. Some sexual harassment is also a criminal offence.

Employers and schools have duties to act on it, and a complaint can be made even if you do not want to involve the police.

Consent means agreeing by choice, with the freedom and the capacity to make that choice. It is specific to each act and each occasion, and it can be withdrawn at any time.

Agreeing to one thing is not agreement to another. Past consent, being in a relationship, being married, having been on a date, having flirted, having drunk alcohol, what somebody was wearing and whether they had sent messages earlier are not consent.

A person cannot consent if they do not have the freedom or capacity to choose — for example where there is force, threat, fear, deception, or where a person is unconscious, asleep, severely affected by alcohol or drugs, or lacks the mental capacity to agree. Children cannot consent, and there are additional protections where somebody holds a position of trust or care.

A person who is asleep or unconscious cannot consent. This is true in a relationship, in a marriage, after a night out and in any other situation. What happened was not your fault, and not remembering all of it does not weaken what you say.

Drinking or taking drugs never means somebody consented, and never makes what happened their fault. Responsibility rests with the person who chose to act.

You will not be judged for saying that you had been drinking or using drugs, and it does not prevent you from getting medical care, specialist support or reporting. If you would like help with alcohol or drug use, our substance use guide lists services.

Spiking means giving somebody alcohol or drugs without their knowledge or agreement. Signs can include sudden confusion, sickness, memory gaps, unusual drowsiness or waking with no clear memory of how you got somewhere.

If somebody is very unwell, unconscious or having a seizure, call 999 straight away. Otherwise tell a SARC, NHS 111 or a doctor that you think you may have been spiked — some substances leave the body quickly, so an early conversation gives a clinician more options, but tests and care are still worth asking about later.

Most sexual violence is committed by somebody the person knows. Rape and sexual assault within a marriage, a relationship or a family are crimes, and being in a relationship is never consent.

This can be especially hard to talk about, particularly where you live with the person, depend on them, share children or care responsibilities, or fear not being believed. Specialist services understand this and will not push you into any decision. If you are frightened of somebody at home, our guides to abuse and to refuges and safe accommodation may help.

Disabled people, people with learning disabilities and people who rely on others for personal care are at greater risk of sexual abuse, and may face extra barriers to being heard — including not being given accessible information or being disbelieved.

You can ask for communication support: an interpreter, a British Sign Language interpreter, an advocate, easy-read information, extra time or a supporter present. If an adult is at risk of abuse or neglect, the local council's adult safeguarding team can be contacted, and in Northern Ireland the Health and Social Care Trust.

Sexual abuse can happen online: pressure to send images, threats to share them, sexual messages to a child, secretly recorded images, and images shared or threatened to be shared without consent. Sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent is a criminal offence.

For adults, the Revenge Porn Helpline supports people whose intimate images have been shared or threatened, and Report Harmful Content explains how to report material to platforms. Where a child or young person is involved, Childline and the NSPCC can help, and our guide to child sexual exploitation and grooming has more detail.

Non-recent abuse means abuse that happened in the past, often in childhood. There is no time limit on reporting a sexual offence to the police, and specialist counselling and advocacy are available whether or not you report.

Some people want to talk before deciding anything at all. NAPAC supports adults abused in childhood, and The Survivors Trust directory lists local services.

People respond to frightening events in many different ways, and the body often reacts in ways the person cannot control.

Freezing, becoming unable to speak or move, complying through fear, going along with something to stay safe, disconnecting from what is happening, feeling detached from your own body, or having incomplete or out-of-order memories can all be trauma responses. None of these means that consent was given.

Nobody should ask why you did not fight back, shout, leave or tell somebody sooner. You survived, and how you survived was not a choice you can be blamed for.

Call 999 if a crime is happening now, if you are in danger, or if somebody needs urgent medical help. If you cannot speak, listen to the operator and press 55.

Where there is no immediate danger, you can call the police on 101 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, or report online through your local force. You can ask to speak to an officer trained in sexual offences, and you can ask for a female or male officer — services will try to meet a request like this, although it cannot be guaranteed at every hour.

You can contact a SARC first and decide about the police later. Staff will explain what a police report would involve, what an examination involves, and what happens to any samples if you have not decided. Asking questions does not start a police investigation.

Usually you will be asked to describe what happened, sometimes in a recorded interview, and you may be offered a medical examination. The police may take clothing or a device, ask about messages, and speak to other people. An investigation can take a long time.

In England and Wales the Crown Prosecution Service decides whether to charge somebody; in Scotland this is done by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and in Northern Ireland by the Public Prosecution Service. We cannot promise that a particular officer will handle your case, that anybody will be charged, or that a case will go to court.

You can ask for an interpreter, a British Sign Language interpreter, easy-read information, written rather than spoken contact, breaks, a supporter or advocate with you, or a different venue. Tell the police, the SARC or the support service what you need, and ask them to record it so you do not have to explain it repeatedly.

An Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) is a specialist worker who is independent of the police. An ISVA can explain the process, help you prepare, come with you to appointments and keep asking questions on your behalf. Similar roles exist across the UK, with different names and local arrangements.

A SARC, a Rape Crisis centre, Victim Support, Nexus or The Survivors Trust directory can tell you what is available where you live. Availability and waiting times vary locally.

In England and Wales the Victims' Code sets out what you should expect, including information about the progress of a case and the right to make a Victim Personal Statement. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own victims' standards. You can ask for a single named contact and for updates in writing, and a support worker can chase this for you.

Choosing not to report is a legitimate decision, and nobody should pressure you either way. You can still have medical care, testing, counselling and advocacy. Some services can also record what you tell them, with your consent, in case you want it later.

There is no time limit for reporting a sexual offence in the UK. People report weeks, years or decades afterwards, and the police are used to non-recent reports. Reporting later does not mean you will not be taken seriously.

You can tell the police that you do not wish to continue. In some circumstances a case may still be considered, particularly where there is a risk to others, and the police should explain this to you honestly. Support does not stop because you have withdrawn, and an ISVA or specialist service can help you think it through first.

If you were treated badly, you can complain. Complaints about the police normally start with the force's own professional standards department, with independent oversight bodies in each nation. Complaints about NHS care start with the service or its complaints team. An advocate or support worker can help, and Sixpence Support UK may be able to help you put a complaint in writing.

In England and Wales, the Crown Prosecution Service operates a Victims' Right to Review scheme. Where it applies, a victim can ask for certain decisions not to charge, or to stop a case, to be looked at again. There are time limits, and the scheme does not cover every decision. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own review arrangements through their prosecution services.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) may pay compensation to people injured by a violent crime, including sexual offences, in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own separate compensation scheme.

Time limits apply. GOV.UK guidance explains that an adult application is normally expected within two years of the incident, with different arrangements for childhood sexual abuse and a discretion to extend a limit in some circumstances. The rules are detailed and do change, so please check the current guidance, and remember that an application is never guaranteed to succeed. An ISVA, Victim Support or a solicitor can help you apply.

In the UK, a person who reports a sexual offence has lifelong legal protection from being identified in the media in connection with that allegation. You can also ask the police, the court and support services how your details will be handled and who will see them.

If a case reaches court, measures may be available to make giving evidence less distressing — such as screens so you cannot see the defendant, giving evidence by live link, pre-recorded evidence, a supporter with you, or clearing the public gallery. What is available depends on the court and the nation, and decisions are made by the court.

A witness care unit, a court-based support service or an ISVA can arrange a pre-trial visit and explain what will happen on the day.

Rape Crisis centres across England, Wales and Scotland, and specialist services in Northern Ireland, offer counselling and advocacy for women and girls, often with women-only spaces and women workers. The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, Live Fear Free, Rape Crisis Scotland and the Northern Ireland Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline are all available.

Sexual violence against men and boys is more common than many people realise, and it is never a reflection on somebody's strength, sexuality or gender. Physical responses during an assault do not mean consent.

SurvivorsUK supports men, boys, trans and non-binary survivors nationally, and The Survivors Trust directory lists local male-focused services.

Galop runs the National LGBT+ Abuse and Violence Helpline for LGBT+ people experiencing abuse or violence, including sexual violence, and can help people who are worried about being outed or not being believed. Its weekday hours have changed recently, so please check the website.

You can ask any service for accessible information, a BSL interpreter, easy-read materials, a quieter appointment, extra time, or an advocate to speak alongside you. Childline has a Deaf Zone, and many SARCs and Rape Crisis centres have accessibility information on their websites.

Childline is free and confidential for children and young people on 0800 1111, 24 hours a day, with online chat and email too. Adults worried about a child can contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, the local council's children's services, a school safeguarding lead or, in Northern Ireland, the Health and Social Care Trust. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

NAPAC supports adults abused in childhood on 0808 801 0331. Its website currently lists the support line as open Monday to Thursday 10am to 9pm and Friday 10am to 6pm, closed at weekends — please check before calling, as hours can change.

Rape Crisis centres, The Survivors Trust member services, SurvivorsUK and Nexus in Northern Ireland also support people for non-recent abuse.

Specialist "by and for" organisations support Black and minoritised survivors, including where there are concerns about family, community, faith, language or so-called honour-based abuse. Imkaan works UK-wide on violence against Black and minoritised women and girls, and The Survivors Trust directory and Rape Crisis centres can point to local specialist services. Interpreters can be arranged by SARCs, the police and national helplines.

Medical care after rape or sexual assault, and support from specialist services, are available whatever somebody's immigration status. Worry about status is something exploiters and abusers often use to frighten people.

Immigration questions should go to a regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor, and never to an unregulated adviser. Sixpence Support UK cannot give immigration advice.

Anybody can be raped or sexually assaulted, including people selling or exchanging sex, and it is still a crime. Specialist services support people who want help to stay safer, to report, to get health care, or to leave a situation, without judgement or pressure.

Supporters matter, and it can be hard on you too. The national helplines listed on this page also take calls from friends and family, and many local services offer support to people close to a survivor.