Planet Earth is a beautiful living place. However, that doesn’t mean everything in today’s world is perfect. There are many things we need to work on to improve it. Unfortunately, some bad people will not understand the duty they have. They will commit different types of crimes for many reasons.
On the other hand, some types of crime are still a taboo subject. In many cases, those bad people manage to commit a crime without any consequences. That especially counts when we talk about rape.
Ladies that have been sexually assaulted usually do not react at all. They would keep their secret and only try to forget about it. Unfortunately, that type of situation usually brings long-term psychological consequences. In most cases, ladies do not forget about that until the end of their life.
The reason why ladies do not react on time is usually associated with fear. Some of them are afraid of the rapist. Rapists are often people that know how to manipulate their victims. On the other hand, ladies also do not feel comfortable talking about it with their friends, family members. Going to court, in most cases, seems like an impossible thing.
If you are a friend or relative to someone who has been sexually assaulted, you can’t remain calm.
You have to help that person in different ways. The victims of raping often do not show any signs. That is the reason why you need to use different methods to make them feel free to talk about the problem they have. Despite that, they should also get legal support and sue the rapist. Justice needs to be on their side! Because of that, let’s find out together what to do if someone close to you has been sexually assaulted.
Before Everything – Support that Person!
There is one thing that all people should have in mind. As we said, the victims of sexual assault do not talk about the problem they had. For instance, they won’t talk about it for years. However, when they decide to do that for the first time, they will talk with a person they trust. That is the reason why you need to understand the position of your friend or relative.
She was probably trying to find the best possible way to tell you something like that. Many people make a mistake, and they have a wrong reaction. For instance, they start to be angry, and they start to be loud, saying many bad words about the rapist. Doing that won’t help a lot. Friendly tone and understanding is something you should show.
The first thing you should say is that you understand the concern of that person. Say that you are sorry why something like that was done to her. Don’t ask too many questions. There will be enough time to find out what exactly happened.
After you do that, give the necessary support. It maybe sounds obvious, but you should say to your friend it is not her fault. Many victims often blame themselves when something like that happens. The sexual offenders somehow convince them it is their fault. A victim of sexual assault is never guilty! That is something all people should understand.
Next, Suggest Medical Help
Visiting a doctor is the first thing the victim of a sexual assault should do. There are two reasons one we say this. Before everything, the victim needs to check if medical attention is necessary. People should not forget that sexual assaults are a priority. Because of that, your friend will go to a separate room quickly after she comes to the hospital.
After that, the doctor will check the health condition of a person. We are not talking here only about physical health. There is a big chance a psychiatrist will come as well to talk with a person. You need to support the victim in both cases. Tell her that she will feel better if she talks with a medical expert.
On the other hand, medical help is the first step of the entire process that comes. The doctor will make a report that can serve as evidence later on the court.
The doctors will document the injuries in form of photos and textual content. Despite that, the doctor will also collect the DNA from different parts of the body. In that way, there will be enough evidence to sue someone. Finally, the patient will get the necessary information about the recovery period. The doctor will highlight all the medicines the victim should consume in the further period.
Call the Police
The police will, actually, automatically come. In most cases, the doctors invite the police to come and write down a report. This is probably going to be the toughest moment for the victim. They will need to remind of all the details, and we can all understand why that is challenging.
On the other hand, you understand now why asking too many questions should not be helpful. That is the job of police officers. Instead of asking, you should support your friend while she answers the questions. Calm her down if she needs time to tell the full story.
More Importantly – Call the Sexual Assault Attorney
Legal support is necessary in cases of this type. You should strongly recommend to your friend that she needs the help of a sexual assault attorney. The attorney should come directly to the hospital to provide the necessary help. Fortunately, there are many of them like The Dixon Firm that can provide the victims with the necessary help.
Yet, the importance of the sexual assault attorney becomes more visible later. Every victim has the desire to complete the entire process as soon as possible. However, without a good attorney, the entire process may last a lot longer.
On the other hand, there are many documents, papers, and pieces of evidence that people need to work with. When someone is not familiar with the law, the entire process will seem confusing and complex. Because of that, it may happen there is always that ONE paper that is missing. It is much better to let the experts complete the job instead of a victim. That is the reason why you should recommend your friend and support her when she decides on hiring a sexual assault attorney.
