I have experienced sexual violence

WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE? You can read more about what sexual violence is.

If you have been raped or sexually assaulted:

If you are at home or in the home of someone else – has the attacker gone? If not, can you make yourself safe, contact a friend or family member or call the police? If you are in any danger or seriously injured call 999 immediately.

If possible, try and find somewhere you feel safe.

If you need a safe space or support from the University, on or off campus, call the Emergency Response Team on 07854 199020.

This number is available 24 hours a day for University Staff, University Students or other informants who need to report a serious incident that requires immediate and urgent response by the University.

The Safe Taxi Scheme. This scheme has been set up so that students can get home safely - if you don't have any cash, you can pay the fare the next day. Call Rainbow City Taxis on 01224 26 22 22 and order a taxi using the 'Safe Taxi' account name, and tell the operator your University and your student number.

If you have any physical symptoms after an assault you should seek medical help.

If this is more than a very minor injury, or if you were unconscious for even a short time, you should go to Accident and Emergency. If you can, it may be helpful to bring a friend or family member with you.

It is up to you how much information you provide, but the hospital staff will be able to offer you better advice if they are aware of the circumstances.

If you have experienced an assault you should contact Grampian Sexual Health @ The Health Village who will be able to advise you on emergency contraception. Emergency contraception should be taken within 72 hours of the attack.

You may be concerned about contracting a sexually transmitted infection and will be able to discuss testing with staff at The Health Village.

They also have specialist medical and forensic services for anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted within the SARC (sexual assault referral centre) located there.

Self-referral to a SARCS - If you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted within the last 7 days and don’t want to tell the police, or are unsure about telling them now, you can self-refer to a SARCS. This means that you don’t need a GP or other healthcare professional to refer you to a SARCS, you can do this yourself. 

You can contact Grampian Sexual Health @ The Health Village on: 0345 337 9900

You can phone the sexual assault self-referral phone service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 148 88 88.

There are a large number of support services you can call or visit.

Offer Rape & Sexual Abuse Support. They offer support & information to anyone over 13 years old
who has been raped or sexually abused at any time in their life.

Tel: 01224 590932

Tel: 08088 01 03 02. Free to call any day between 5pm and midnight.

Tel: 08088 010 789 every Tuesday, 11 am to 2 pm.

The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre  Advocacy Support Helpline is for women affected by gender based violence. At SWRC we know that abuse and violence can affect every area of a woman’s life. Our advocacy workers will be available once a week to answer questions around issues like housing, child welfare, benefits, employment, among many others, as well as to explain legal processes and signpost women to relevant support services. Through this helpline we will also identify women who might benefit from short or long-term non-legal representation, so we can advocate for their rights.

Phone: 0808 801 0301 (Helpline Open Mon - Fri, 10am - 4pm)
Helpline for Scotland providing support to women from minority backgrounds who have been affected by violence against women. Support is available in English, Urdu, Arabic, Bangla and Swahili. Service also runs a VAW awareness programme.

Revenge pornography is illegal. Contact the Revenge Porn helpline (only operating on email service at the moment) help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm

mygov.scot have compiled a comprehensive guidance pack including advice on:

Rape and Sexual Assault are Criminal Offences.

The police have specially trained officers who are available to assist you and you can be confident that your complaint will be taken seriously.  

You can call the police non-urgently to report something of concern or even discuss a situation on 101 or contact the Rape Crisis Scotland National Helpline on 08088 01 03 02 (daily 6pm-12 midnight). In an emergency always call 999.

You can also report the incident anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at any point on 0800 555 111

This Video is for anyone who is thinking about reporting a sexual crime or who has already reported and their case is currently in the Scottish justice system. There are interviews with key professionals and an overview of how to report and what you may expect at each stage of the process.

If you're thinking of reporting to the police, Rape Crisis have also produced a useful list of things to think about.

If the incident has been very recent, it may be useful to consider that the below are useful ways to preserve evidence before a medical examination: 

Please note: Although it can be useful, you can proceed, and should not be discouraged from deciding to make a police report without this evidence. 

If you make a report to the Police, you can ask for someone from the University to accompany you.    

The Police are committed to providing a sensitive service which takes account of the trauma of sexual violence. To learn more about how Police Scotland respond to reports of sexual misconduct, see ‘Information and help after rape and sexual Assault’ : 

 

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/advice-and-guidance/2016/02/information-help-rape-sexual-assault/documents/00494993-pdf/00494993-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/00494993.pdf (PDF, 316 KB) document. 

 

If you contact the Police regarding a sexual misconduct report: 

 

1) An initial report will be taken - you can ask to speak to a female or male officer and can take someone with you for support. 

2) If you report a sexual offence the police may wish to collect clothing and other items relevant to the police investigation. 

3) A Sexual Offences Liaison Officer (SOLO) will be assigned to you.   This is a specialised officer who is trained in discussing sexual incidents and has insight into the impact that trauma can have on a person. 

4) A witness statement will be taken and a medical examination can be arranged where appropriate.  

5) Police Officers will carry out detailed enquiries with any potential witnesses and interview the person responsible.   On the conclusion of the police investigation; 

a) if there is insufficient evidence, the case will not be reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and you will be informed of this. 

b) if there is sufficient evidence, the Police will send a report to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service who will make a preliminary decision on the case. 

6) Police Scotland will ensure you have the opportunity to obtain support from specialist external services, for example Rape Crisis. 

7) Please note: if, at a later date, you do not want to go ahead with a criminal case, your wishes will be taken into account however the police may continue with the investigation.