What happens when a survivor reports abuse to law enforcement? What can one expect? While each police department may operate a little differently, I want to walk you through what to generally expect when preparing to report sexual abuse to law enforcement.
The decision to come forward and notify law enforcement about sexual abuse is not an easy one to make. However, it’s one that can oftentimes make a world of a difference in a survivor’s recovery. Reporting abuse can be empowering. It can also help bring about justice. This can be incredibly healing for a survivor.
A Quick Clarification
The terms sexual assault and sexual abuse are often used interchangeably. Both refer to unwanted sexual acts and behavior. However, there are differences. Assault is typically used to refer to one incident whereas sexual abuse can be ongoing. Abuse can be any behavior that is harmful to someone’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare. It usually involves predatory grooming. Sexual abuse is the term more frequently used when speaking of sexual violence committed against children.
What can you expect when notifying law enforcement?
The police are going to ask you lots of questions. As invasive as some questions may seem, they are trying to help you. Police officers (especially those specializing in sex crimes) have been extensively trained to ask certain questions and obtain as much information as possible. The police report essentially needs to establish that you did not consent to the assault/abuse. In the case of a minor, this isn’t even an issue because a minor is not developmentally capable of consenting to actions of a sexual nature. The more details you can give them, the more likely they will be able to investigate further. Hopefully, this will lead to the arrest and eventual prosecution of the perpetrator.
It is helpful to keep in mind that states have different laws pertaining to the prosecution of sex crimes. These are called statute of limitations laws. A statute of limitation is a window of time in which the state has to prosecute a perpetrator. This window of time often makes special allowances for child abuse victims. Even if the window has passed and the perpetrator can no longer be charged in your case, reporting a past crime can still be helpful to you and to law enforcement.
Due to a variety of reasons, not every police department has a detective or advocate who specializes in sexual violence. Typically, larger departments will have a special division of detectives who specialize in investigating sex crimes including those involving children. No matter who you speak with, the police are supposed to help you and, more often than not, they will do their best to assist you. There are of course situations in which the police (both female and male) are less than supportive and kind. This of course can make reporting sexual abuse all the harder. If you ever find yourself in this situation, you can ask to speak with another officer or with someone above that individual in the chain of command.
Having an advocate by your side can also be helpful. You do not have to speak with the police alone. Some survivors find it helpful to have a support person with them such as a supportive family member or friend. If you are an established client of a mental health professional, you could consider having them present as well.
What are some of the questions the police might ask?
In addition to describing (in as much detail as possible) the events of abuse or an assault, here is just some of the information you should be prepared to answer:
- What are you able to remember about the abuse?
- What is your relationship to the offender? Is he/she someone you already knew or were they a stranger? You may be asked to describe him/her and offer any identifying information you have.
- When did the crime happen?
- What were you wearing when it happened?
- Do you have an article of clothing you were wearing that might contain DNA of the abuser?
- Do you have any other physical evidence of the abuse? Of course, depending on the kind of offense and when the offense(s) happened, there might be no physical evidence, or the physical evidence might no longer be available.
- Can you describe your surroundings at the time of the assault? What did you hear, see, etc.?
- Did you go to the hospital?
- Did you have a rape kit done?
- Are you aware of any witnesses?
- What were you thinking at the time of the abuse?
- Did you resist in any way?
Some Other Considerations
Something to consider doing (if you haven’t already) is getting a thorough physical examination performed by a doctor. The details of this examination following a sexual assault can be added to a police report and possibly entered as evidence in a trial. As previously mentioned, there will likely be less physical evidence (such as DNA) available if an assault occurred long ago, so getting something like a rape kit done is best done as soon as possible. Nonetheless, it is possible that a physical examination performed even years later can back up certain claims of abuse.
You’ll also want to express any concerns you have in regard to safety. The police should be able to offer you some guidance on that. Ask any questions you have about what is going to happen moving forward.
Reporting sexual abuse can be painful but don’t give up!
Again, some of the questions you are asked to answer may feel sensitive and invasive. They are not meant to shame or blame victims although some of them might feel that way. It is crucially important that law enforcement has as much detail as possible. They are putting together a report and anticipating the questions the defense (the team defending the perpetrator) could have if the case goes to trial.
Having been through interviews with various individuals (including a sexual assault detective as well as a District Attorney) after I chose to report my sexual abuse by a Catholic priest, I can attest to how painful it is to recount such awful experiences. It can also be very empowering. Reporting abuse puts some power and control back into the hands of the abused. You have the power to potentially put a stop to a someone else’s evil actions. Reporting sexual abuse to law enforcement can help you seek justice, and you are also helping to protect future victims. Despite the pain involved in disclosing the details of abuse to the police, getting it all out into the open can sometimes help survivors come to terms with what happened.
Don’t be surprised if you leave a meeting with police feeling physically and mentally exhausted. I vividly recall feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and disgusted. All I wanted to do was take a long shower and cry. That’s exactly what I did. Appropriate self-care was especially important during that time.
Be as informed as possible to make notifying law enforcement an easier experience.
Making the decision to come forward and notify law enforcement is not an easy one to make. Detailing the abuse/assault certainly isn’t easy to do. However, the more informed you are about what happens when you notify law enforcement about sexual abuse, the more confident you will feel. You can report abuse at any time (even if the statute of limitations has gone by) but, if you can report it sooner rather than later, that is always better. The sooner you can report abuse or an assault, the greater likelihood the police have of helping you, getting the perpetrator off the streets, and getting the case tried in court. It’s also easier to collect physical evidence and find possible witnesses.
If you are preparing to notify law enforcement of sexual abuse, don’t give up. Have faith. Have courage. God will give you the strength to persevere. No matter what happens going forward, being able to have a voice can be such a powerful part of the healing process.
Do you have a question about victimization and/or healing? Email me at AskASurvivor@ruthinstitute.org. Your name and personal information will never be used in my public responses.
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