Next the officers will ask you a series of questions

The first police officers you meet or talk to are usually in uniform. Their job is to ask questions to help you. If you are hurt or injured, they might want to take you to the hospital so that you can get your injuries looked at. If the violence has just happened, they might also talk to you about having a forensic medical examination.

Police will ask you questions like:

• what happened?
• when did it happen?
• where did it happen?
• do you know the person who hurt you?

Sometimes you will be asked questions more than once. It might feel like police don’t believe you, but it is to make sure they record all the information you give them.

You might also talk to police officers who are not in uniforms. These officers are called investigators or detectives.

These officers might ask the same questions you’ve already been asked. They might also ask you some more questions about the violence like:

• where it happened
• the details of anyone who might have seen the violence
• the detail of anyone who might have seen anything that happened before or after the violence
• the details of the person who hurt you.

Some questions may be very personal, private or difficult to answer. Some questions might be about your recent sexual activity, or alcohol or drug usage. These questions aren’t to blame, embarrass or humiliate you. They are to help police understand what happened to you.

You must be treated with respect, courtesy, compassion and dignity. This is a right under the Charter of Victims’ Rights.

When you report sexual violence to police, you will be asked to provide a statement. A statement is usually written or, in special circumstances, recorded. A statement tells police what happened to you. Giving a statement to police can be difficult. You can take breaks whenever you need to – just let police know.

When you talk to police, you can have a support person with you. If your support person is a witness to sexual violence, they might not be able to be with you when you give your statement. They might also need to give a statement to police. You can have someone else with you if your support person is a witness.

If you choose not to provide a statement to police, that means that police will not investigate what happened to you.

After you make a statement to Police, it may take a while before you hear anything further. Police should keep you updated about the investigation – this is your right. You can also seek support while you wait to be updated about the investigation.

If you are concerned for your safety while the investigation is happening, call 000.