Steps To Take Incase Of Rape And Other Forms Of Sexual Assault

The world at large observes the #16 Days of Activism to create awareness around the social ills that impede the progress of nations and communities. In solidarity with these efforts, it is essential to be aware of the proper procedures to undertake in case of rape.

Even in this day and age, rape victims are still shamed and blamed for the violence meted against them.

Contrary to popular opinion, women and girls aren’t the only victims of rape, boys are too. Just recently, social media influencer and poet, Rix the poet, shared a sad ordeal of how their domestic manager took advantage of him, and people shamed him for being bold enough to share his story.

Quite frankly, I believe his story, because two of my male friends have shared heartbreaking stories on the same. One of them, whose mother was often out on work conferences and workshops, was left in the care of an elderly caregiver, who touched him inappropriately and instructed him on what to do. According to him, all of the house managers that his mother employed had him do something sexual with them. So, it is possible that these women might have done this to all the male children left in their custody.

Most people who speak up against rape and other forms of sexual assault are women and girls. Men are forced to deal with issues in silence because that’s what society has conditioned them to do.

While women and girls are the majority victims of rape, perpetrated by men, young boys are the undocumented statistics because of the assumption that rape mostly occurs in the female gender. It is also important to acknowledge that the perpetrators, in this case, are women and therefore, necessary to educate men, women, boys, girls and gender non-conforming persons on these steps to take in case of rape.

What to do in case of rape:

Safety first

Bring yourself to a safe place, away from your assailants’ reach. Make sure that they can’t reach you quite easily. The best place is in a public place where he/she can’t be left alone with you.

Stop any form of communication or contact with the perpetrator. This could lead to more trouble or have a negative impact on your mental health.

If you feel you are still in danger, call the police on 911 and ask for their help.

In case of any physical injuries, it would be wise to get to a clinic or a hospital to seek medical attention.

If you risk getting pregnant, then consider getting an emergency contraceptive pill.

Seeking medical attention will also ensure you get on PEP to avoid possible contraction of HIV/AIDs and the treatment of other STIs that might have crept in. According to Web MD, PEP is a combination of three antiretroviral drugs that you take soon after a possible HIV exposure. It’s designed to prevent the virus from taking hold in your body and multiplying. But for it to be effective, you have to start taking it within 72 hours (3 days) of exposure, or it won’t work.

Collect evidence

There is no time limit as to when you can report a sexual assault case. Therefore, you reserve the choice to report the crime or not.

However, it’s important to gather evidence while you still think about what option suits you best.

If you want to report the crime immediately, here are some vital things you should observe;

Take pictures of the crime scene. Where the assault happened. Whether it is in a car, your bedroom, class, office or hotel room.
Take pictures of any physical injuries
Call someone you trust and share everything that happened. Give all the intricate details, because they could serve as your witness when you decide to report the matter.
Write down what happened to you and email it to someone you trust, or to yourself, with a timestamp. This will be essential when you report the crime.
Avoid taking a shower, might tamper with DNA evidence, that’s if you want to report the crime immediately.
Avoid using the washrooms at all costs
Do not change your clothes, or if you do, put them safely in a plastic bag and preserve them for evidence.
Avoid combing your hair.
It’s human to want to clean up after a rape has happened, but you are advised not to until you have made your report and forensic evidence gathered.

Seek support

It’s important to seek support from your family, friends or a professional because often, victims are confused, enraged, sad, heartbroken and, in some cases, suicidal.

If you have been raped before, please know that it was not your fault and it’s never too late to seek justice.

Call a friend, family member, counsellor or helpline for support.

Here are some contacts you can utilise: