Procedures Victims Should Follow Procedures Victims Should Follow If a Crime of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Occurs
Immediate Assistance Your safety is the top priority. If you are in danger, immediately call 911. Once you are out of physical danger and in a safe place, consider reaching out to someone you know and trust, seeking medical attention, contacting a victim advocate, contacting the police, and/or seeking counseling. Not every individual will be prepared to make a report to the College or local law enforcement and that is okay. The important thing is to get help when you need it. Immediate Healthcare and Preservation of Evidence If you experience sexual misconduct, you are strongly encouraged to seek counseling and medical care even if you do not plan to request a forensic exam or report the incident to the police. You may be prescribed medications to prevent sexually transmitted infections and/or pregnancy even if the police are not contacted or if a forensic exam is not performed. a. Sexual Assault Treatment Center If you experience sexual violence, you are encouraged to seek immediate medical care. Additionally, preserving DNA evidence can be key to identifying the perpetrator in a sexual violence case. Your first instinct may be to take a shower and clean yourself. It is critical that you do not shower or bathe, brush your teeth, change your clothing, or wash your hands. If possible, do not go to the bathroom, eat, drink, or take medication unless it is necessary for your health. Your body and clothing may contain critical evidence if you choose to have a forensic examination. The Victim Service Center of Central Florida provides immediate support and advocacy to both reporting and non-reporting victims of sexual assault. Services can include forensic evidence collection to preserve physical evidence by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) that occurs in a private facility that offers a calming home-like environment. If possible, this should be done immediately. If an immediate forensic exam is not possible, individuals who have experienced a sexual assault may have a forensic exam within five days (120 hours) of the incident. A victim advocate is available to accompany the survivor during the exam, and all information provided to the advocate is confidential. Services can be received regardless of whether a survivor reports the crime to law enforcement. There is no cost associated with having a forensic exam done or with any follow up services provided by Victim Service Center of Central Florida. You will not be asked to provide any insurance information at any point. To undergo a forensic exam, contact the Victim Service Center 24/7 helpline at 407-500-4325 to be directed to the Sexual Assault Treatment Center. For more information about forensic exams, see https://www. victimservicecenter.org/our-services/sexual-assault-
services/forensic-exam-locations/. b. Emergency Room/Local Hospital/Private Physician/ Planned Parenthood The closest hospital and emergency room to campus is AdventHealth Winter Park (407-646-7000). Please note that area hospitals are required by Florida law and/or policy to contact local law enforcement, but individuals will not be required to report the incident. The emergency room may have law enforcement transfer you to the local rape crisis center. Emergency rooms see patients in order of the severity of their symptoms, and you may not receive the fastest care from an emergency room. You should not need medical insurance to receive medical care. Your private physician or a specialist (i.e., gynecologist, urologist) can offer you services and support, but you may need to make an appointment and there may be a waiting period. If you need medical attention right away, consider accessing one of the other options. Planned Parenthood East Orlando Health Center (407246-1788) provides high-quality, affordable health care and sex education. With or without insurance, you can always come to them for your health care. They provide men’s and women’s healthcare; STD/STI testing, treatment, and vaccines; HIV services; LGBTQ services; birth control; pregnancy testing and services; emergency contraception/morning-after pill; and abortion services. c. Rollins Wellness Center Students may seek medical attention, Plan B, STD/STI testing, or answers to their questions and concerns by visiting the Wellness Center during normal business hours. Confidentiality laws protect the conversations you have with medical staff in the course of care or treatment. It is important that a victim of sexual assault not bathe, douche, smoke, change clothing or clean the bed/ linen/area where they were assaulted if the offense occurred within the past 96 hours so that evidence may be preserved that may assist in proving that the alleged criminal offense occurred/or is occurring or may be helpful in obtaining a protection order. In circumstances of sexual assault, if victims do not opt for forensic evidence collection, health care providers can still treat injuries and take steps to address concerns of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted infections. Victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence are encouraged to also preserve evidence by saving text messages, instant messages, social networking pages, other communications, and keeping pictures, logs or other copies of documents, if they have any, that would be useful to College adjudicators/investigators or police.
