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Should I Report to Authorities?
5WAVES are not attorneys, and this is not legal advice.
Please visit our Finding a Lawyer page for assistance.
If you are under age 18, read this page first to learn more about what to expect if you report or if you talk to many adults, who are required to report what you tell them.
I'm really not sure if I want to make a report or not...
This is a hard decision. There are no right or wrong answers. No one else has a right to pressure you to decide one way or the other. This page is meant to point you to information that can help you make the best decision for you, at this point in your journey.
Helplines Can Help!
Sexual assault crisis lines are a good place to talk to someone who is supportive and to find out more about options and rights specific to where you live.
RAINN.org (US) 24/7
RAINN Español 24/7
Do I have an obligation to report to police, to protect others?
If you are an adult who was sexually violated at any time, even as a child, it is your choice if, when, and how to report. Your sibling is responsible for their actions; you are not.
How Do I Report?
Where do I make a report?
You will need to report in the place where the abuse or assault happened, even if neither you nor your sibling lives there now. You can ask about options for how to report, especially if you live too far away to come in person. You can start with your local non-emergency number and they can connect you with the right people, or you can look up the non-emergency number of the place where you would need to report.
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Who do I contact to report?
There are a few options:
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Call the local police/sheriff non-emergency number--they will send law enforcement officers to you
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Go to a local police station--or call non-emergency number to schedule a time to come
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The UK has an online reporting form
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Go to the ER, Urgent Care, or your physician/GP
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Call your state’s child abuse hotline (US), NSPCC (UK), or Google your country's child abuse reporting options
Caring for Yourself
Reporting is a difficult step, and pursuing a criminal case is a long and unpredictable process. It is important to make sure you are ready and have good sources of support for yourself. Here are some options and places to find help:
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​Friends, family, clergy you trust
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Local sexual assault crisis center
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Find your center-US​ (RAINN)
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Peer Support groups for SSA
​What will happen if/when I report?
You can decide if you want to have them come to you for this, at your home or elsewhere. Or you can go to the station and talk to them there. You can have a support person with you during this process if you wish.
You will be asked to tell the officer on duty what happened. They will ask you questions to get a complete report. You don’t have to answer any questions that you don’t want to. You can always give more information later if you wish. If at any point you feel you are not believed or not treated with respect, you can request to talk to someone else, to a supervisor, or to a victim advocate.
If an assault happened recently, you may be asked to have a physical exam to collect physical evidence. You may have a support person with you at this time, too. It is your choice whether you want to allow a physical exam or not (unless you are under the age of 18).
RAINN: What is a sexual assault forensic exam?
If authorities continue with an investigation, a detective may ask to meet with you to get more information. When they are done with the investigation, law enforcement will write a report. If there is enough evidence to consider bringing charges, the police or sheriff will send the report to the local prosecutor and they will make a decision on whether to bring charges.
RAINN: Tips for Communicating with Law Enforcement
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What will happen to my sibling if/when I report?
Law enforcement may want to talk to your sibling. If law enforcement have reason to believe your sibling presents an imminent danger to your or others, they could arrest your sibling.
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If your sibling is still under the age of 18, their case could be handled by the juvenile justice system. The actual age cutoff depends on where you live, what offense is charged, and possibly also on which judge is assigned.
If your sibling is now legally an adult, but abused or harmed you when they were age 17 or under, there are a lot of unknowns. The local prosecutor’s office or a local lawyer specializing in sexual offenses, or perhaps your local sexual assault crisis center would give the best answer. (“Local” refers to the place where the offense happened, no matter where anyone lives now.)
If your sibling ever abused or assaulted you when they were age 18 or over, their case would go through the adult criminal legal system.
More Questions
Can I still report after all these years?
Some places there is a statute of limitations on how long abuse can be prosecuted after it happened. Cases are harder to prosecute when time has passed. So even if it is within the statute of limitations, authorities will not issue charges unless there is a realistic chance of conviction.
RAINN: Check your state’s laws here (US)
International Legal Basics including statutes of limitations
No matter what the odds of a legal case moving forward, you can still make a report. Many survivors find validation or peace in simply knowing they told the truth and that it was legally recorded. The response of the staff who receive the report can vary widely, however. It can be a healing experience to report to someone who listens intently, takes your report seriously, and shows appreciation that you are telling the truth. Unfortunately, some survivors have the opposite experience–especially those who are reporting non-recent abuse. This is one reason it is important to make sure you have support for yourself as you go through the reporting process.
NSPCC: Reporting Non-Recent Abuse (UK)
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Can I report but not press charges?
The only one who can issue criminal charges is the prosecuting attorney. Not the police, not even the victim. Most prosecutors won’t pursue a case without the victim’s cooperation, but either way, the final decision rests with the prosecuting attorney. This applies in the large English-speaking nations and in many others that use a Western model.
RAINN: What to Expect from the Criminal Justice System
What about the sex offender registry? I want to make sure they don’t do it to someone else.
You can’t put someone on the public criminal sex offender registry unless they are convicted of a crime. Most states also have a central registry–a separate list of people who have been investigated by the Department of Human Services and found to have abused a child. This generally happens when the abusive behavior is investigated while the victim is still a child. The standard of proof for this registry is much lower than for a criminal case. Those who are listed would be prevented from getting a job or professional license to work with children or vulnerable adults.
More Resources
Survivors Who Have Reported​
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Heather, Brooke's mother
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Poppy, age 18 (child sexual abuse by a grandfather)
Insight from Other Sites
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SARSAS (UK): Reporting Considerations, Historic Sibling Sexual Abuse
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UK Police: Help If You're Not Sure Whether to Report
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​RAINN (US): Reporting to Law Enforcement
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RAINN (US): Find Your Local Sexual Assault Crisis Center​
More Information on this Site
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Pros & Cons of the Criminal System for Healing & Families
Hollyoaks actors interview three real-life SSA survivors, with three different outcomes after reporting their abuse (20 min)
Survivor Gloria Masters interviews Survivor Liz Roberts, including her journey to reporting and speaking out publicly.