Pathways

1.

A specially trained Sexual Offences Liaison Officer (SOLO) will be sent to see you or will speak to you over the phone. When you contact the police, you can specify how and where you would like the SOLO to contact you.  

2.

The officer will ask some basic questions to make sure you feel safe and to find out what happened, when and where, and who was involved.  

3.

The officer will talk to you about what needs to be done next and tell you about support services available.

4.

For rape or sexual assault, the officer may ask permission to take you to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and/or take mouth and urine samples immediately so that forensic evidence can be preserved. 

5.

At some point you will be asked to give an official victim statement either at a police station, the University, your home, or somewhere where you feel comfortable.

6.

In your statement, you will need to include the events of the incident in the order in which they happened, the names and descriptions of anyone involved, and any other relevant details.

7.

Any subsequent action will depend on the nature of the incident and other factors such as evidence and witnesses.
If you report to the police, you can still opt out of the reporting process at any time.

8.

If you opt out of reporting, you will be offered a referral to an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA), the services of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), and free counselling.