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General Questions / Recent Adult Sexual Assault / Child & Adolescent Sexual Abuse / Reporting Issues
Is there a charge for services?
There is no fee for KCSARC services to
victims/survivors or their related support people. Counseling, parent/guardian
education, legal advocacy, and our 24-hour Resource Line are all at no cost to
you.
Who's eligible for services?
KCSARC services are for anyone who has
experienced sexual assault recently or in the past, as well as those who are
impacted by the sexual assault of another. Anyone, at anytime, can call our
24-hour Resource Line (1-888-99-VOICE) to get specific information about how we
may be able to assist.
Are your services confidential?
YES! We do not disclose your personal information
to anyone outside of the agency without your permission. One exception to this
is if we have information about a child (under the age of 18) or a vulnerable
adult being harmed. We are mandated by the State of Washington (RCW 26.44.030)
to report this to the proper authorities. Our goal is to provide you with
accurate information, immediate support and on-going services that will support
your healing process. To this end, we are interested in empowering you to make
decisions and choices about who should have information about the abuse.
Is there any fund set up to pay for costs
related to a sexual assault?
The Washington State Crime Victims
Compensation (CVC) Program is available to assist many victims of sexual
assault. The program requires that you report to law enforcement within one year
of the crime, or within one year of when a report could reasonably be made. You
then must file an application with the CVC program within a certain time period
no less than 2 years. You can receive an application form by calling our 24-hour
Resource Line (1-888-99-VOICE) or by calling CVC directly at 1-800-762-3716. The
other important piece of information about this fund is that it pays for the
initial medical exam, but other insurance carriers must first cover any further
expenses before CVC will contribute.
I was just raped, What should I do?
Our first concern is for your physical and
emotional well being. Get yourself to a “safe” place where you will not feel in
further danger. Everyone handles personal crisis differently. A rape threatens a
person’s physical as well as emotional safety. Sexual assault is a personal
attack like no other. When someone is raped, the first instinct is to
bathe/shower to wash away all memories of the rape. It is best for the sake of
evidence collecting to avoid bathing until after a forensic medical exam at your
local hospital emergency room. If you reside in the King County area, Harborview
Medical Center in Seattle is equipped to provide you with this exam. There is no
cost to you for this initial emergency exam. The hospital will bill Crime
Victims Compensation directly for the cost of the exam. If you have already
bathed, rest easy. You can still report to the police if you choose to and there
may be evidence in your clothes that can be preserved. For adults, reporting to
the police is an individual choice. You can go to the hospital emergency room
within 72 hours of the assault to be checked out physically without reporting to
the police. The most important thing is to get some assurance from a doctor that
you are physically well. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to call
our 24-hour Resource Line and speak to an advocate counselor. They can talk you
through what you can expect from a medical exam or the initial police report.
The advocate can also connect you with our follow up services which can include
counseling or legal advocacy.
Child & adolescent sexual abuse:
I just found out that my son/daughter was
abused. What should I do?
This is probably one of the most difficult
pieces of information you will hear your child say. The knowledge that someone
has harmed your child brings about an immediate flood of emotions. However,
there are people who can help you and your family through this. Our 24-hour
Resource Line Advocate Counselors are waiting for your call. They can give you
the support that you need to in turn support your child. But even more than
that, they can provide you with accurate information as to what your options for
next steps are.
When kids (under 18 years old) are sexually abused, KCSARC is
mandated to report the abuse to Children’s Protective Services and law
enforcement. These agencies are charged with protecting children. CPS will
assess the current situation as well as the threat of any future harm. Their
goal is to assess for safety of the child. Law enforcement gets involved to
investigate the allegation. They will need to make sure that a statement is
taken from you to establish the nature of the crime. It is also possible that
the officer will want to collect any evidence that you know of that would link
the offender with the victim. After this they will pass the information on to a
detective in their department to set up a formal interview. With younger
children, a Child Interview Specialist at the Prosecutor’s office will do this
interview. Older children are interviewed directly by the detective
investigating the case. After this point an investigation will ensue.
If you know that your child was sexually abused within 72 hours, s/he should be seen by a trained emergency room medical doctor or SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) nurse. If you reside in King County, Harborview Medical Center is equipped to conduct a comprehensive exam. This initial exam will be directly billed to Crime Victims Compensation and will not be charged to you. Evidence preservation can be an important element in holding an offender accountable to this crime. If the abuse occurred after this time-frame, it is still wise to get a medical evaluation done. Contact the Child Advocates at KCSARC to get information about whether your child should be seen at a specialized clinic, or by your family doctor.
Will CPS take my kids?
Children's Protective Services (CPS) is responsible for ensuring that children
are safe. If the offender is out of the home and you, as the non-offending
parent/guardian are protective, there would be no reason to remove a child from
their home. If there is concern that the offender will return, or the
parent/guardian is non-supportive of the child, they may choose to make plans
for alternative placement.
How do I know if my child needs therapy? And
how long will it take?
Most children who have been sexually abused
can benefit from therapy of some sort. The type and length of treatment is based
on every child’s differing needs. The goal of therapy at this point is to
provide a safe, non-threatening environment for them to sort through their
thoughts and as well as receive relevant information and teaching. The methods
used to achieve these goals are tailored to the age and developmental stage of
each child or adolescent. The effects of abuse may impact kids differently at
various stages in their development. This is a normal process of healing. What
is significant to a child at age eight will be different when they turn sixteen.
Different developmental stages bring new concerns to the surface.
I’m a teenager. Can I report to the police and
keep it from my parents?
Police will take a report of a crime from any
victim. However, keeping it confidential will be very difficult. There are many
people involved in bringing an offender to justice. Very likely, somewhere along
the way, someone will end up talking to your parents not realizing that you
wanted to keep it confidential. Our Legal Advocates can assist you in sorting
out all of the concerns that you have regarding your parents. Many teens will
benefit greatly to have the support of their parents as they go through the
criminal justice process. And although it would be difficult to keep your
involvement with the criminal justice system confidential, the information that
you share with your KCSARC advocate is confidential.
Will I get in trouble for telling?
Kids and teens are often worried about what
will happen after they talk about being sexually abused. Many blame themselves
for causing all of the things that happen after a disclosure. The reality is
that none of this activity would be going on if the abuser never abused. When
offenders choose to abuse kids, they are causing great harm to children and
deserve to be held accountable. Unfortunately, the process of holding an
offender accountable often throws victims into a lot of unexpected turmoil. But
the bottom line is that you are not the one that will be in trouble. The abuser
who hurt you will be the one who will be in trouble.
Some kids and teens are afraid of getting into trouble if they were doing things they were told not to, or maybe even illegal. It is best to be honest throughout the whole process. Those handling the case would rather hear things from you, than be surprised by hearing it from a third party. In most circumstances, the assault would be at the forefront of everyone’s mind and the focus on the case would be on the perpetrator’s behavior. If you have further questions about this, call our 24-hour Resource Line. You will not be asked to give your name or any identifying information. The advocate's first priority is your well-being.
How do I know if what has happened is against
the law?
It is hard for the general public to know what
is considered illegal according to the laws of a particular State. Generally
speaking, if someone has sexual contact with you, and you say “no”, it is
against the law. However, the ability to prove this fact in a court of law is a
whole different threshold. The most important element in this equation is YOU.
KCSARC can assist you in your decision about police reporting, give you accurate
information from which to base your decisions, provide you with emotional
support in the aftermath, provide counseling or give you community referrals. We
are interested in giving you the kind of support that will assist you to move
forward in your healing.
What if I just have questions about a sexual
assault, but don't want to report to the police?
KCSARC’s 24-hour line is available to answer
any questions while you remain anonymous. Additionally, adults have the freedom
to decide whether or not to report to the police. Everyone’s situation is
different and there are many reasons why you may not see reporting to the police
as a viable option. We are very interested in making sure that individuals have
accurate information from which to base this decision.
Kid’s, adolescents (under
age 18), and vulnerable adults are protected under Washington State law and
therefore many people in the helping professions are mandated to report the
suspected sexual abuse of these individuals. If you continue to have questions
after talking to the 24-hour Resource Line Advocate, she can connect you with a
Legal Advocate who can further process the problem with you. Legal advocates can
answer your many questions about what will happen if you make a report to the
police. If later you decide to report, they can assist you through the criminal
justice process.
I don't
want everyone to find out, Do the police need my name? Will they make it
public?
Confidentiality is a high priority for KCSARC.
You will be asked to give your name to the police when you report. Legally, they
need to have the name of the person filing the complaint as well as the
“witness” to the crime. In a sexual assault, the victim is generally the only
witness to the crime and is also the person bringing the complaint forward. The
police will generally try to keep the names of victims confidential. It is
important to know, however, that your name will appear on the official police
report that gets forwarded to the prosecutor’s office. If the prosecutor files
charges against the perpetrator, and this person is arraigned, documents become
a record open to the public. Prosecutors and police make every effort to keep
your name from the press. It is the practice of most media personnel to withhold
victim names.
How do I
press charges against the person who assaulted me?
The laws and the process following a sexual
assault can be very complicated to the layperson. Technically speaking, victims
do not "press charges, " and do not need to hire a private attorney. In the
state of Washington, the first step to initiate criminal action is to report the
assault to the police. The police are responsible for determining whether or not
there is "probable cause," or reasonable cause, to believe that the crime likely
occurred. After they conduct an investigation they may send the case to the
prosecutor's office. During the investigation and decision-making process, the
victim, as well as anyone else involved in the incident, will be interviewed by
the police and possibly by a prosecuting attorney. Victims have a legal right
to have an advocate present with them during an interview. After reviewing the
facts of the case, the prosecutor makes the decision whether or not to file
charges against an "alleged" perpetrator. The word "alleged" is used because
defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. A
KCSARC Legal Advocate can keep you informed of each step in the process so that
you can remain an active participant in the case. Your Legal Advocate will also
provide you with the emotional support that most people need following a sexual
assault.
Will they arrest the guy who did this to me
and keep him in jail?
Many perpetrators are arrested, but most are
eligible to post bail. It is unusual for the person to remain incarcerated while
awaiting trial, but there are occasions where that occurs. Eligibility for bail
is generally determined by whether the person poses a “flight risk”. If the
perpetrator has a job, family and close ties to a community, he/she will likely
be eligible to pay a certain amount of money for his/her release because the
courts believe that he will remain in the area and show up for any future
hearings related to his/her crime. The bail money is returned, if he/she
continues to return for all hearings.
How do I get a Legal Advocate?
If
you are considering reporting to the police or have already made a report, a
Legal Advocate can assist you with whatever comes next. Call our 24-hour
Resource Line and let them know that you are interested in receiving a call from
a Legal Advocate. Legal Advocates work out of our main office, but can meet you
at any interviews and meetings that you are required to attend. They can assist
you from the initial police report through the trial and sentencing process. They
will keep you informed of the process as well as provide you with emotional
support while your case proceeds through the system.
24-hour sexual assault resource line:
1-888-99-VOICE
(toll free in Western WA only)
King County Sexual Assault
Resource Center
Copyright © 2007 KCSARC. All rights reserved.