If you decide to contact the police they will come to you as soon as possible.
We will support you every step of the way and keep you informed.
You may not feel ready to speak to anyone at this stage, however there are important things we’d like to help you with that will assist in preserving evidence. Evidence is important to take forward a prosecution, if that is what you wish.
You are welcome to bring a friend or family member along for support if you choose to. However, it should not be anyone who could potentially be a witness.
A police officer will speak to you as soon as possible and take an initial account from you about what happened.
This initial information allows the police to begin an investigation, if that is what you want. Remember, they will go at your pace.
If you need one, we'll arrange for a translator or a signer to help you.
After the initial account you will be asked to make a formal statement. Because we understand this may be emotionally difficult, we've taken special measures to protect you.
We might have to ask you when you last had consensual sex. We would only be interested in this as something that might affect the forensic evidence. It would have no effect on how we regard your statement or you.
We understand that some of the questions will be difficult, but the more details you can give us the better.
We would need to know whether you had drunk alcohol or taken drugs, however, it won't affect the way we treat you.
We won't ask you about your sexual life, previous relationships or whether you have been assaulted before unless it is relevant to this particular case - for example this is a repeat attack by your partner.
Remember, you can stop and take a break whenever you want to.
We may encourage you to have a medical examination by a Forensic Medical Examiner (A Doctor who works for the Police) but nothing will happen until you are ready. They will go at your pace.
In order to help investigate what happened to you, we may require access to your mobile phone or other social media accounts. This is not to pry into your private life and will only be requested if it is relevant to your case.
We may also ask you to give permission for Police to access your health records. Again, this is not the pry and will only be requested if it is relevant to your case.
Your dedicated Officer will explain all of this to you.
We will speak to you about what happens next - but the person who assaulted you will normally be arrested and taken to Douglas Police Headquarters. They will be interviewed by the Isle of Man Constabulary.
Once the suspect has been interviewed and all relevant enquiries concluded at that time, the suspect will face one of the following options:
They may be released from the Police station under an agreement to return at a later date. This will enable Police to carry out further enquiries relating to the case.
They may be charged with an offence. This means they will go to court, either straight away or in the days following charge.
They may be released from the Police station without arrangement to return. This will usually be if the Police are confident they are not responsible for what happened to you.
We understand that this can be scary for the victims, which is why if you have any concerns or strong objections you should let us know. If the suspect lives with you, we will make sure that you are safe and update you as things progress.
