SAFETY ALERT: Computer use is traceable and Internet activities can never be fully erased from your hard drive. If you think your computer use might be monitored please find a safer place to surf the web, like at a friend's house or the public library. Or call the 24 hour domestic violence hotline at (707) 255-NEWS (6397) if you are in Napa County or (800) 799-7233 if you are outside of Napa County. If you are viewing our site and need to get away quickly to an unrelated site, click the red ESCAPE button in the upper right corner and you will be redirected. Please test this feature on your computer RIGHT NOW to ensure you are comfortable using it.

En Español Continue

ALERTA DE SEGURIDAD: El uso de una computadora puede ser identificado y actividades en la internet nunca pueden ser totalmente eliminadas del disco duro. Si piensas que tu uso de computadora posiblemente esta siendo monitoriado favor de encontrar un  lugar seguro donde puedas navegar la red social, por ejemplo la casa de una amistad confiable o la biblioteca publica. O llama a nuestra  linea de Violencia Domestica disponible las 24 horas al 707-255-NEWS (6397) si te encuentras en el Valle de Napa, o a este (800) 799-7233 si te encuentras fuera del Condado de Napa. Si estas visitando nuestra pagina y necesitas salirte rapidamente a una pagina no relacionada, oprime el boton rojo de ESCAPE arriba en la esquina de la mano derecha y seras desviado/a. Favor de probar este función en su computadara AHORA MISMO para asegurarse que se sienta comodo/a usando esta función.

Los servicios de NEWS están disponibles para todos, independientemente del estatus migratorio.

In English Continuar
707-255-NEWS (6397)

24 HOUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ABUSE HELP LINE
LINEA DE AYUDA LAS 24 HORAS PARA VIOLENCIA DOMESTICA Y ABUSO SEXUAL

1-800-799-7233

OUTSIDE OF NAPA COUNTY
FUERA DEL CONDADO DE NAPA

Contact Us

Reporting Sexual Assault

Different avenues when reporting may look like…

Calling 911 on your own - If you call 911, officers will respond to your location and take a report. They will likely talk to you about your options. This can include seeking medical care and evidence collection at an emergency room (this is commonly known as the rape kit), providing contact information for NEWS, the local rape crisis center, and advising you that a detective will follow up.

Starting in the emergency room - If you go to the emergency room to get medical care and evidence collected in a rape kit and have not yet made a police report, the hospital will notify law enforcement. This will prompt a SART nurse (trained forensic nurse) and a victim support advocate to be dispatched to the hospital. It’s important to note that you are not required to talk to law enforcement or follow through in making a report but want to preserve the evidence.

At the Police Department - You can go to a police station to make a report. It will need to be in the department where the assault occurred. Let the person working in reception know you would like to report a crime. You will then speak with an officer to make the report. Depending on the timing of the assault and your decision for a medical exam-this can prompt going to the hospital as explained above. It’s important to note that you have the right to ask for a support person. Per law enforcements protocol with NEWS, they are required to call an advocate to be with you for support.

At our NEWS office - If you feel unsure about how or where to start, you can visit us at our office at 1141 Pear Tree Lane #220. You can ask to speak to a sexual assault advocate and someone will sit down with you and go over your options. This can include reporting directly from our location and an officer will meet us here. They will take the initial report as explained above, give you your report number for follow up and advise you that a detective will be in contact with you in the coming days for next steps.

 

Initial Questions When Reporting a Sexual Assault

To make a report, officers will need to gather information about the crime. Survivors can expect to be asked:

  • Where did it happen?
  • When did it happen?
  • Do you know who assaulted you and what is your relationship with them?
  • What did they do?

They may also ask more specific questions:

  • Was there alcohol or drugs involved?
  • Did the assailant use a weapon?

It may be difficult and painful to answer some of these questions but know that the officer is trying to gather information so that law enforcement can better investigate your case. Your advocate will be right there with you for support. Once the officer finishes writing your report, they will give you a document with some basic facts, including the report number and a phone number for contacting the police department.

 

Detective Interview

Your case will be assigned to a detective for investigation. They will likely be trained to work on sex crimes and specialize in these cases. They will review your report and contact you or your advocate to set up an interview. If they don’t within one month, you can ask your advocate if they can help reach out to law enforcement using the report number you received when you made the report. Law enforcement typically reaches our SAVS department to connect you with services if you haven’t already been contacted by one of the avenues above.

Your interview helps the detective investigate the crime and gather evidence. They will ask more detailed questions than when you reported, and they may request to record your conversation. You can say yes or no.

You should provide as much information to the detective as you can. You may be repeating information you already shared when you made the report, but that is okay! The patrol officer may not have told the detective about everything you said or what they saw at the scene. If you can share any of the following, it may be particularly helpful:

  • Video – from door cameras, surveillance cameras, social media posts, etc
  • Eyewitnesses – people who saw behavior or level of intoxication before the assault or witnessed the assault.
  • Outcry witnesses – Did you confide in someone and shared what happened to you? The detective may want to contact that person if you are okay with that
  • Text messages with the perpetrator, especially if they admit to harming you
  • Any form of admission
  • Information about or photos of injuries
  • Receipts – showing where you were or what you were doing
  • If you have questions after the interview, you can contact the detective. If you feel more comfortable connecting with your advocate instead, that person is more than happy to follow up on your behalf and keep you updated about the investigation status and if an arrest will be made.

 

Gaps In Memory

Not being able to remember everything about the assault also makes victims hesitant to report it. The trauma of the event, alcohol, or drugs can make it difficult or impossible to recall all the details. But anything you can share with law enforcement is potentially useful to them. Police don’t need complete information to initiate an investigation and many crimes are prosecuted even when the victim doesn’t have perfect recall.

 

Remember

Reporting is a personal and sometimes complex decision. You will need to weigh the pros and cons for yourself. While police and prosecutors always have the ultimate power to decide to pursue an investigation or not, you have the power to decide to report or not. You can still be connected to NEWS regardless of your choice to report or not. We will support you in your decision judgement free.

 

You may choose to report because you want to pursue accountability in the criminal justice system, uncover a perpetrator’s pattern, or help to prevent this from happening to someone else. No matter your reasons, you should report as soon as possible if you want to. Getting law enforcement involved quickly can help ensure valuable evidence is collected and bolster your case.

  • If you are hesitant to report, consider what’s holding you back. Self-blame, gaps in memory, anxiety about participating in a case, and distrust of law enforcement are common barriers.

 

Blaming yourself?

Survivors of sex crimes often feel personally responsible for the harm they suffered. Even though this self-blame is misplaced, it can be powerful. Know that what happened was NOT your fault. You are not alone, and there are people and resources to help you.

SAVS ADVOCATES 

SEXUAL ASSAULT INFORMATION and RESOURCES

 

How Can I Help?

Become a SAVS Volunteer! – See our Volunteer Page to learn more.

Call to Volunteer: 707-252-3687

Get involved with Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) each April.