Long after assault can you report

One example is a rape shield law, which limits what the defense can ask the victim about prior sexual history. The prosecutor can also file legal motions to try to protect the victim from having to disclose other personal information. All states have their own rules and resources for protecting participants in a trial.

You can learn more about the resources in your state from the Office for Victims of Crime. It can be nerve-racking to speak in public, as well as in a courtroom. In some areas, the local sexual assault service provider can provide you with an advocate to support you during the trial or resources to make the process less intimidating.

You can learn more about these rights and other resources through the Office for Victims of Crime. Learn more about what to expect at a criminal trial.

Throughout the criminal justice proceedings, you may want additional support. To speak with someone who is trained to help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at Victims of violent crime in Victoria may be able to apply for financial assistance to help them with costs.

A guilty verdict is not always the end of the court process. Learn about how appeals work. Offenders may serve their sentence in a prison or youth justice centre in Victoria.

An offender serving a sentence in prison may apply for parole — conditional release into the community after they have served their non-parole period. The post sentence scheme monitors some serious sex and serious violent offenders after the end of their sentence to help reduce risks of reoffending in the community. Victims can apply to receive updates about offenders who are sent to prison. The Victims Register Online Form will be unavailable due to planned system maintenance from We apologise for any inconvenience.

Having a violent crime happen to you or a loved one can be very upsetting and disruptive — and sometimes the effects may be felt for a long time after the crime occurs. Particularly if someone is badly hurt, it can be difficult to know what to do next — but you do not have to deal with it alone.

The Victims of Crime Helpline can connect you with services or you can use this website to learn more about the justice system in Victoria and what to do next. If anyone is in immediate danger or a crime is currently occurring, please call police on Triple Zero You can also go to your local police station External link to report a crime.

The Victims of Crime Helpline can provide information, advice and support. If someone threatens you with harm or behaves in a way that makes you think they will harm you, this can also be a crime. Depending on the circumstances, an accused person may be charged with different offences such as:. The Victims of Crime Helpline is available every day from 8am to 11pm to provide advice and support to anyone who has experienced a physical assault in Victoria.

The helpline can also help people who are experiencing difficulty and need support after being a witness to a violent crime. When you contact the helpline, a Victims Support Officer can discuss your situation with you and advise on assistance and support services you can access.

The helpline may also be able to organise a support worker from the Victims Assistance Program who can:. Aside from the physical injuries that may result because of violence, experiencing a crime or having a loved one affected by a crime can be frightening and traumatic.

Everyone's response is different, but it can be helpful to understand the common feelings and physical reactions people have and what to expect. Whether it is just after the crime or you are dealing with ongoing effects on your health and wellbeing, counselling is available.

The Victims of Crime Helpline can connect you to services that can help. The aim of the code is to reduce the trauma of the investigation and court case for the victim. They have had special training to understand how sexual assault affects people. You should get immediate crisis care after reporting a sexual assault to the police within two hours of police arriving.

If a child is involved, the police officer must notify the Department of Health and Human Services. The police will take a statement from you about your experience. This means going over every detail of the sexual assault. It can take a few hours. The police will use your statement, along with other things, to investigate the sexual assault. You can have a support person, such as a friend, with you during police interviews.

The officer should be the same gender as you and should let you describe what happened in your own words without interruption. You should be given a copy of your statement as soon as possible after it has been completed. If your first language is not English, the police officer must arrange an interpreter of the same gender as you as soon as possible.

If you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, police Aboriginal liaison officers will be involved where available. If you have a disability, let the police know that you may need help with communication and getting to and from police and medical facilities. If you have a cognitive impairment, an independent third person must be with you while you make a statement or recorded interview to the police.

The Office of the Public Advocate may be able to help. You can also get extra support from a Centre Against Sexual Assault or from another worker you feel comfortable with. All police involved in the investigation of sexual assaults must be sympathetic and supportive. If you end up convicted of a summary offence, you can also receive a period of probation, in addition to either a fine or jail time.

There is no time limit for pressing charges on an indictable offence, as many kinds of assault charges tend to be. Police who have received a complaint about an assault that they determine to be an indictable offence charge can wait as long as they deem necessary to charge the accused.

Indictable offences are much more serious than a summary offence. If you are convicted of an indictable offence, you can face over two years imprisonment sentence. If you have been accused of assault, be sure to contact a criminal defence lawyer immediately.