How to seek help after sexual assault
It can be difficult to seek help amid the emotional distress one experiences after encountering sexual violence. But remember that sexual crime is never the fault of the victim, “no matter what they were wearing, how they were behaving, how much they had to drink or their sexual history”, as Aware puts it.
Aware’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) provides free and confidential services for anyone who has faced sexual assault and/ or sexual harassment, even if it happened years ago. Contact the SACC if you need help, or feel unsure about a sexual encounter and just want to talk.
You can also consider calling the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) at 1800-777-0000 for advice. The NAVH is a dedicated 24-hour helpline operated by the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
And Shecares@SCWO is a one-stop support centre dedicated to people who are survivors of online harms such as harassment, abusive language, revenge porn, cyberstalking, or doxxing.
REPORTING A SEXUAL CRIME
Going to the police
Generally speaking, the sooner a police report is made, the easier it is for the police to investigate and prosecute the perpetrator. But a report can be made any time after an incident, no matter how long it has been.
If you go to a Neighbourhood Police Centre, an officer will interview you briefly and help you lodge the report. This interview should take place in a private room. You should then be referred to an Investigation Officer trained to handle sexual crime cases. Your statement will be taken, a process that may involve officers asking difficult questions, including your attire and sexual history.
A medical forensic examination may be carried out to look for injuries and other evidence such as clothing, hair samples and swabs. If an examination is deemed necessary, you will be escorted by an officer to a hospital or the Onesafe Centre at the Police Cantonment Complex to be examined by a forensic examiner with specialised training.
Before any examination, you should be provided with an explanation of the procedures, and you can ask questions. The cost of the examination is borne by the police. Hospitals cannot perform a medical forensic examination if you have not made a police report.
You may also have to undergo a polygraph examination. Polygraph examinations are voluntary, and written consent is required from the person(s) involved.
If you need emotional support at any point, you can request for a Victim Care Officer – volunteers who have backgrounds in psychology, counselling, or social work, and are trained by the police to help.
On average, the police take about 12 months to conclude investigations into cases of sexual crime, longer if the case is more serious or complex. When investigations are complete, the police will consult the Attorney-General’s Chambers for a decision on whether to prosecute the alleged perpetrator. You should be kept updated throughout this process.
At the hospital
In Singapore, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), National University Hospital, and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) have personnel trained to support sexual assault cases.
These hospitals cannot conduct a medical forensic examination on you if you have not made a police report, but you can still seek medical attention if you have injuries from your assault that need immediate attention.
Patients will not be pushed into making a police report, but the rationale for doing so (to enable the collection of evidence) will be explained to them in a “sensitive manner”, says Dr Serena Koh, consultant for KKH’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
A patient who has not made a police report but requires medical assistance can inform the triage nurse of their assault when registering at the emergency department – the nurse can then make the necessary arrangements to support the patient’s needs, says Dr Lim Whui Whui, consultant at SGH’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
Hospitals have protocols in place to treat sexual assault survivors with sensitivity during a forensic medical examination or during treatment. KKH’s Dr Koh says its specialist doctors undergo training to “attune them to the importance of carrying out the process in a sensitive and empathetic manner, so as to avoid further traumatising the victim”.
At SGH, patients who have been brought in by the police to be examined as an assault victim are usually allocated a private room to wait in. These cases are usually given priority, and investigations and forensic examination will be performed in a private room and with a nurse chaperone.
Dr Lim of SGH also shares that if a patient makes a police report 72 hours after the assault, then she will not be referred for a medical examination.