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First priorities after the incident
If you have experienced a sexual offence, your immediate safety and wellbeing come first. If you are in danger or need urgent medical help, call 999 straight away.
If you are able, try to get to a safe place where you feel supported. You do not need to decide whether to report to the police before taking the next practical steps.
Preserve clothing and other items
Keep the clothes you were wearing in separate paper bags if possible. Avoid washing them, using disinfectant, or putting them in plastic bags, as this can damage evidence.
Do not wash bedding, towels, or any other items that may hold evidence. If you have changed clothes, keep the original items safe and label them with the date and time if you can.
Avoid disturbing possible evidence
Try not to shower, bath, brush your teeth, or use the toilet if you can avoid it before a forensic medical examination. These actions may remove traces that could help an investigation.
If you have already done some of these things, do not worry. Evidence may still be available, and it is still worth speaking to a sexual assault referral centre or the police.
Save digital evidence
Keep any texts, emails, social media messages, voicemails, photos, or call logs connected to the incident. Take screenshots and make sure the date, time, and sender details are visible if possible.
Do not delete messages or block the person before you have saved copies. If you are worried about losing access, back up the evidence to a secure device or cloud account.
Write down what you remember
As soon as you feel able, make a note of everything you remember about what happened. Include dates, times, locations, who was present, and anything said or done before and after the incident.
Write in your own words and do not worry about getting every detail perfect. A simple timeline can be very helpful later if you decide to report.
Get specialist support
You can contact a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, often called a SARC, for confidential support and forensic examination. In many areas you can attend without immediately making a police report.
A SARC can help preserve evidence and explain your options. You can also bring a trusted friend, relative, or advocate if that would help you feel safer.
Keep evidence secure
Store anything you have saved in a safe place where others cannot access it. If possible, make copies of digital evidence so that the original remains unchanged.
Try to avoid discussing the incident in public online, as posts can sometimes affect privacy and evidence. If you need support, speak to a trusted person or specialist service instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can, avoid showering, bathing, brushing your teeth, changing clothes, or cleaning the area involved. Keep any clothing, bedding, condoms, or other items in paper bags if possible, and note the time, place, and anything you remember about what happened.
Preserving evidence can help support a police investigation and any later court process. Even if you are unsure whether you want to report, keeping evidence intact may protect your options later.
Do not wash the clothing if possible. Put each item in a separate clean paper bag, not plastic, and keep it somewhere safe. If the clothing is damp, let it air dry first if you can do so without handling it too much.
If possible, do not wash or change the bedding until you have spoken to the police or a sexual assault referral service. Keep sheets, blankets, or pillowcases in place or bag them carefully if they need to be removed.
If you have not yet showered, it is best to wait if you can, because washing can remove biological evidence. If you do need to wash for comfort or medical reasons, you can still report and explain what you have done.
If possible, do not change clothes until evidence has been considered. If you must change, keep the clothes you were wearing in separate paper bags and avoid shaking or washing them.
Keep the original messages, screenshots, usernames, timestamps, and any related chat history. Do not delete conversations, and consider backing them up safely so the information is not lost.
Keep the original files and avoid editing, cropping, or deleting them. If possible, preserve metadata by storing the files in their original form and making copies only for safe backup.
Do not delete posts, messages, comments, or account activity if you may want them used as evidence. Take screenshots, save links, note dates and times, and keep records of usernames and profiles involved.
Write down everything you remember as soon as you feel able, including dates, times, locations, who was present, and what was said or done. Use your own words and include details even if they seem small.
Yes, if you have injuries, write down when you noticed them and how they appeared. You can also photograph them with date information if you are comfortable doing so, but seek medical care for any serious injury.
Do not wash the area or wipe away possible trace evidence if you can avoid it. If you need medical care, tell the clinician about the incident so they can take appropriate steps while treating you.
Store items in a dry, secure place where they will not be handled by others. Use paper bags or clean containers when appropriate, and keep them separate to reduce contamination.
A sexual assault referral centre, a doctor, a trusted friend, a support worker, or the police can help you preserve evidence. You do not have to do everything yourself, and support services can guide you through the process.
Yes, in many situations you can seek medical care or contact a sexual assault referral centre without immediately making a police report. They can help collect and store evidence while you decide what to do next.
You can still report and provide evidence. Tell the police or support service exactly what was washed or changed, when it happened, and what evidence may still exist, such as messages, witnesses, or injuries.
It is best to preserve evidence as soon as possible because some evidence can degrade quickly. Even if time has passed, clothing, messages, records, and witness details may still be useful.
A sexual assault referral centre or medical professional can check for injuries, document findings, and collect forensic samples where appropriate. They can also treat you and explain how to avoid losing evidence.
Yes. While some forensic evidence may be harder to collect after time has passed, messages, photos, witness details, medical records, and your written account may still be important.
Make a quiet note of what you remember, save any digital communications, keep relevant items untouched, and contact a support service if you want guidance. The key is to avoid cleaning, deleting, or altering possible evidence where you can.
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