Help With Sexual Abuse
Galop can help if you’ve been the victim of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can happen repeatedly or on a single occasion and involves unwanted contact of a sexual nature between two or more people. Sometimes this abuse happens within families or intimate partnerships. Sometimes this abuse is by an acquaintance, or even by a stranger. Some sexual assaults are part of homophobic or transphobic attacks, while other abuse occurs within relationships.
No matter when or how it occurs, sexual abuse is serious. The law protects all people from sexual and domestic abuse regardless of gender or sexuality. Unfortunately, too few lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people feel able to come forward and report crimes of a sexual or domestic nature.
If you want to report sexual abuse to the police, Galop can help. If you’re not sure you want to involve the police, or would just like some advice and support, give us a call or send us an email. Everything you tell us is confidential, and you can talk to us anonymously if you’d like. We’re here to help you get the information and support you need.
Is this abuse?
Many LGBT people aren’t sure if things they’ve experienced are kinds of sexual or domestic abuse. Read our Sexual Abuse factsheet to learn more about the ways in which lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and trans people might experience sexual abuse.
Will the police really care?
You might be worried that police won’t believe you, or that they won’t treat same-sex abuse seriously. You might be concerned that you’ll be outed if you make a police report. You might feel like there aren’t people and organisations who want to help LGBT people who’ve been the victims of sexual or domestic violence, or that it’s not worth reporting abuse that happened in your past. Luckily, none of these things are true, but talking to Galop about these fears may help.
Galop can help you find the support that you need, whether that’s assistance with reporting a crime or helping you to access services. If you need somewhere safe to stay, we can work with you to contact refuge centres and LGBT housing groups. We can help find counsellors trained in domestic or sexual abuse issues, and can point you toward other organisations that might be able to help you out. We can answer your questions about LGBT rights, court procedures, and the police. Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to go the Havens with you or attend court, or we can simply give you the names of some resources.
Everything you tell us is confidential. We won’t pass along anything you say to the police or any other agency unless you say we can.
If you’d like us to help you make a third party report to the police, we’ll ask you some questions about the incident like when and where it happened, who was involved, and any injuries you might have sustained. You can remain anonymous if you like. Read our Assisted Reporting factsheet to learn more about it.
Even if you don’t want to involve the police, it’s important to give us a call or report abuse on our website. We can advise you about all sorts of things related to LGBT abuse and your safety, and point you in the direction of other resources.
What to do if you’ve experienced an attack
If you’ve recently experienced a sexual attack, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. GUM clinics and the Havens can prescribe PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis), which is a course of drug treatments that attempt to prevent HIV development. Emergency contraceptives (like the 'morning after' pill) are available from all GUM clinics, sexual health clinics, most GPs, NHS walk-in centres, and from chemists.
The Havens can conduct forensic medical checks where your injuries are recorded and samples from your skin and clothing are taken. Visiting a Haven doesn’t mean that you have to report the attack to police. They will store the samples in case you decide to report the crime at a later time. If you have very recently been attacked, it’s a good idea to avoid washing, brushing your teeth, or visiting the toilet in order to preserve evidence. Even if you don’t plan on reporting the attack to the police, the Havens can provide you with confidential medical care, counselling, emotional support, and practical advice.
Getting the help you need
No matter where or when it happens, sexual abuse is never your fault. Anyone who’s experienced sexual violence deserves to get the assistance they need. Galop can help you find help with the emotional, legal, and practical sides of living through sexual abuse.
LGBT people don’t have to stand for sexual abuse. Galop can help.
