Help and support following rape

I have been raped, what types of support is available to me?

If you choose to report the crime, you can find out more from support services about:

how the police will investigate your case
who the Crown Prosecution Service are and what they do
what happens if your case reaches the courts

NHS video about what happens at a SARC (YouTube)

You can access support services by phone, online and face-to-face.

You can contact support services yourself, or some organisations will allow someone else to get in touch for you. This could be a friend, family member or a supporting professional.

There are many types of support available. You can contact a service that feels right for you:

Victim Care Hub -The Victim Care Hub provides free, confidential support for victims of crime and those impacted by crime who are residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Their aim is to help you cope and recover from the effects of crime, regardless of whether or not you have reported to the police.

Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) – An ISVA will offer you independent practical and emotional support and will work with other organisations to make sure you get the help you need. This could include health or housing support.

You do not have to report your experience to the police to get support from an ISVA.

They will also be able to give you information about the police, Crown Prosecution Service and court processes if you choose to report.

You can ask the police to refer you to an ISVA service.

While ISVAs can provide emotional support, they are not counsellors or therapists.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) – SARC can offer confidential medical and practical support to people who have been raped or sexually assaulted. You do not need to report to the police to visit a SARC.

At a SARC, you can:

get a forensic medical examination to collect evidence
get medical help for any injuries
get free pregnancy and STI tests
practical support and information
emotional and peer support
counselling/and or therapy
advocacy services to help you navigate the criminal justice system

You can choose to have any forensic evidence stored in case you decide to report to the police in the future. Some SARCs can take and keep forensic evidence safely for several years if you ask them to. Any evidence that is collected will only be given to the police if you decide to report the crime.

You can find your nearest SARC on the NHS website. You can contact a SARC directly. They will offer you advice and can refer you on to other support services.

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight SARC – https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/sarc

Someone I know has been raped, how can I support them?

If someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, it can be a very distressing and confusing time for you both.

If you are supporting a male survivor/victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence, there may be specific ways you can help them, or specific barriers they may be facing as well as a number of specialist male helplines and support services available to offer support.

If you are supporting a member of the LGBTQI+ community survivor/victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence, there may be specific ways you can help them, or specific barriers they may be facing as well as a number of LGBTQI+ helplines and support services available to offer support.

but you can help to support the person who has been assaulted by:

explaining what their options are and what happens next.
accompanying them to the SARC Treetops across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. (sexual assault referral centre), Hampton Trust or police station nearest to them.
LGBTQ+
helping them to feel safe.
listening to them and supporting them through the recovery process.

If they want to report to the police – and the crime happened less than 10 days ago – call 101 or 999. A specially trained officer will speak to you and to them about what has happened and will arrange for them to come to the SARC Treetops where a doctor or nurse will check that they are OK and to look for forensic evidence. They need to do this as soon as the feel able to after the assault because forensic evidence becomes less reliable over time and cannot be used after 10 days.

They should try not to wash. They can still be examined if they have washed, but there will be more DNA evidence on their body if they feel able to wait until after an examination. Private showers and toiletries are available on site.

If they are unsure or need more time to decide about reporting to the police, a specially trained staff member from the SARC Treetops can explain what to do next and offer support and guidance. Call the local team on 0300 1236616. They can arrange for a doctor or nurse to examine them and check that they are OK, emergency contraception is also available. You can accompany them throughout the process if it helps. They can also look for, and store, forensic evidence in case they decide to report to the police later.

This is entirely their choice and they shouldn’t feel pressured. They can decide to prosecute at a later date but staff can only gather DNA evidence up to 7 days after the assault.

If they want to report to the police and it is more than 10 days after the crime has been committed, you can help and support the person by explaining what their options are and accompanying them to the nearest police station to them. Ten days is the longest time that forensic evidence can reliably survive. After this time, SARCS Treetops can still help with sexual health care, counselling, advice and support but will not be able to gather forensic evidence.

Call 101 or 999. A specially trained officer will speak to you and them about what has happened and will arrange for an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) to support and guide them through the process. Unfortunately forensic DNA evidence cannot be collected after 10 days but they can still provide them with advice regarding sexual health, contraception, counselling and support.

If they are unsure or don’t want to report to the police, and they or you need help immediately, call SARC Treetops on 0300 1236616 or email them securely at admin.treetops@solent.nhs.uk  If it is not immediate, fill out the referral form for a call back 24/7. They can give advice on sexual heath, contraception, counselling and support.

GP or another medical professional

You can seek help from a GP or another medical professional. Medical professionals will only report what has happened to the police if you ask them to, or if they believe that someone else (for example a child) might be at risk of harm.

Support services and contact details:

You can find more information from the following organisations:

PARCS (Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Services) – a specialist counselling and psychotherapy for survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse and rape.
Victim Care Hub Hampshire– Free, confidential support for victims and witness of crime in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
Hampton Trust – Breaking the cycle of abuse -their team of Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) work with children and young people as well as adults. They are an inclusive service offering support to anyone who wishes to access our service and who has experienced sexual abuse, irrespective of whether that be recently, a long time ago, or through domestic sexual abuse.
Survivors UK – support for male and non-binary survivors of sexual violence, providing counselling and practical help. They also provide help and support to loved ones and professionals.
Safeline – provide a range of specialist independent, practical, and emotional support services to victims of sexual crimes. They have a dedicated service to men and boys across the UK.
Rape Crisis – a service for anyone aged 16+ in England and Wales who has been affected by rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment or any other form of sexual violence – at any point in their life
Yellow Door – offer a wide range of specialist therapeutic, support and prevention services to anyone at risk from or affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence/abuse or other forms of interpersonal harm. All services are open to residents in Southampton, with some services available to residents in other parts of Hampshire including Eastleigh and New Forest. Their ISVA service is provided across Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth
Galop (LGBT+) – their team has decades of experience in supporting LGBT+ people who are victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate crime, so-called conversion therapies, honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and other forms of abuse.
Stonewall (LBGT+) – stand with, and fight for, the freedom, equity and potential of all LGBTQ+ people.
UKSaysNoMore – seeks to unite and strengthen a diverse community of members and organisations nationwide to actively take a stand against domestic abuse and sexual violence under one powerful, visual symbol. The campaign provides open-source tools and resources for individuals and organisations to take action and get involved in making a difference.
Imkaan (Ethnic Minorities) -although this is not a direct service provider, they provide support, and work closely with, frontline organisations dedicated to offering the deserved support.
Breaking the Silence (male survivors Asian, African and African-Caribbean origin) – We provide a completely confidential service (see our Confidentiality Policy) for men of Asian, African and African-Caribbean origin, aged 13 and over. Our experienced counsellors are qualified in a range of therapies.
The Traveller Movement – dedicated services for domestic abuse and VAWG to Irish Traveller women.
Sexual Trauma and Recovery (STAR) – a counselling service working across the South of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with people who have experienced recent or non-recent rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse . They are an inclusive team offering one-to-one counselling at their dedicated counselling centres in Portsmouth and Fareham, and also virtual counselling or via phone.
Its Never to Late (START) – a confidential, specialist counselling and support service for anyone who has experienced sexual abuse and/or sexual assault, resulting in sexual trauma. The services are offered to everyone, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, cultural or religious background
Victim Support – independent free and confidential advice.
New Pathways – a specialist support for adults, children and young people who have been affected by rape, sexual assault or abuse. Face to face, online and telephone contact available.

You can also access counselling and talking therapies from the NHS.