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What to Do:

1. Get to a safe place.

2. If you think you want evidence collected do not bathe, shower, brush your teeth or go to the bathroom.  This is important for preserving evidence.

3. Do not change your clothes (if you already have, put your clothes in a clean paper bag such as a grocery store bag and bring them with you to the emergency room).

4. Go to the emergency room.  This must be done within 5 days of the assault.  If you would like someone to go with you to the hospital, call or text the NWI, Lake, Porter, and LaPorte County, IN 24 hour Rape Crisis hotline at (219) 218-2552.

5. The emergency room will page the on-call nurse examiner.  The nurse examiner will complete a rape evidence kit and treat any injuries you may have sustained.

6. If you suspect you were give any type of drug you should be tested, ideally within 24 hours after ingestion.

7. If you want to have a pill to prevent pregnancy (Plan B), you must begin medication within 72 hours.

8. If you are concerned about HIV, you can begin a regimen of preventive medication within 36 hours of exposure.

9. The rape evidence collection kit will be held anonymously at the Law Enforcement Agency (regardless of whether you choose to make a police report) for 12 months.  If you make a report within 12 months, the kit is analyzed when it is needed for investigation.  Both the prosecution and defense will have access to the results.

10. If you think you want to make a police report, the sooner you report the better.  Legally, you have three years to file a civil suit and 15 years to file a criminal suit.

11. If you make a police report or file a protective order within 5 days (at the hospital or otherwise) you can file for victim compensation to cover medical costs.  Once a victim compensation claim is open you can request expenses be reimbursed at any time in the future. (Note: it is a good idea to open this claim, you can be assured that unforeseen expenses will be reimbursable.)

12. Get Support.  No matter what decisions you make, you have done the best you can.  You deserve to have all resources available to you.

 


 

A Safe Port

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