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What is sexual assault?
Sexual assault is a crime under the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT) and is taken very seriously by ACT Policing. Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault.
The term sexual assault is used when a sexual act is committed against a person without that person’s consent.
Often sexual assault is committed by someone known to, and trusted by, the victim. It may be experienced as a one-off event or repeatedly over a longer period.
Sexual assault is never the fault of the victim.
Affirmative Consent
In 2022, the Crimes (Consent) Amendment Act 2022 (ACT) was created to update the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT) to align with contemporary community understandings and expectations of consensual sexual activity. The Act outlines that people have a right to choose to not participate in sexual activities.
The amendments shifted the principle, meaning and definition of sexual consent from something that is presumed can be negated, to something that is un-assumed and must be given. This is a communicative model of consent - one which is underpinned by principles of agency, autonomy and responsibility and is based on a culture of healthy, respectful relationships. For more information, see the Crimes (Consent) Amendment Act 2022 (ACT).
Your health and safety is paramount.
If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured, call Triple Zero (000) and request an ambulance. If you do not require urgent assistance, call police on 131 444, visit a police station or hospital as soon as possible so your safety and health can be assessed.
If you have been sexually assaulted within the last 7 days, you may be asked if you want to participate in a Medical Examination Kit (MEK).
Both the Canberra and North Canberra hospitals provide support for all victims of sexual assault, and can provide emergency treatment. They will also connect you with support services such as Forensic and Medical Sexual Assault Care (FAMSAC) who can administer preventative medical care against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), sexually transmitted infections (STls) and unwanted pregnancies.
You can choose whether or not you undergo a MEK, regardless of whether you decide to report the sexual assault to Police.
If you undergo a MEK, it is recommended that you don't shower, drink liquids, smoke or change your clothes following a sexual assault. Also do not clean up, move or otherwise disturb anything at the place where the assault happened.
Critical evidence can be lost or deteriorate if not collected in a timely manner. Contacting Police or attending a Hospital as soon as possible ensures the best chance of this evidence being captured. If you haven't done some of these things, that's okay. It is still possible for evidence to be collected. Again, your safety and health is our paramount concern.
You can report any incident of sexual assault to police. Reporting sexual assault can be a daunting and traumatic experience, and we recognise the courage involved in coming forward.
ACT Policing have investigators who are specially trained in investigating this type of crime.
ACT Policing work closely with the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre who provide confidential counselling services free of charge and can assist you with attending hospital, provide advice and support through criminal justice proceedings and refer you to practitioners to assist in your recovery.
There are a number of ways you can report a sexual assault to ACT Policing:
In person: Visit any of our five police stations in the ACT. An officer will be able to assist you immediately to discuss the incident and your options going forward.
By telephone: In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or for police assistance call 131 444. These calls are answered by ACT Policing Communications who will arrange for police to meet with you.
Online: You can report sexual assault online if it is historic (meaning that it occurred more than six months ago) via our online forms. These reports can be made with the intention of having the incident investigated by police or for information purposes only.
It’s never too late to report sexual assault. Many people who experience sexual assault don’t tell anyone at first and reporting sexual assault years later is quite common.
It doesn’t matter whether the offence occurred months, years or decades ago. ACT Policing will investigate if you ask us to.
If you would prefer to speak to someone, you can report in person at any of the ACT’s five police stations or over the phone by calling Police Assistance on 131 444.