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Making a Police Report

Telling the police about what happened can be embarrassing, difficult, and scary. You can ask the police to call an advocate from the nearest crisis center to be with you, or you can call Nebraska state-wide crisis hotline at (800) 876-6238 yourself and arrange to have an advocate meet you.

You and the rapist are probably the only people who know what happened. If questioned, the perpetrator will probably say he wasn’t with you, didn’t have sex with you, or had consensual sex with you. It is up to you to tell the police what happened, including if alcohol or drugs were used by either of you before or during the assault. It is important to not hide or change any facts when you talk to the police.

After your first report, investigators working on your case may need to talk to you several more times. It is not unusual for you to be confused about details and the order of events – a traumatic event makes it difficult to remember things as clearly as we normally do. Take your time and do your best. As things become clearer, let the investigators know what else you remember. Though it may not always seem like it, the police are on your side. You are working together to hold your rapist accountable.

The course of a criminal investigation will vary with each case. If the police are able to make an arrest, it is not unusual for a sexual assault case to take six months to a year to move through the court system. The investigators will probably be in touch with you frequently during the first month after the report is made. They may ask you to take a polygraph as part of the investigation. Once the Preliminary Hearing is done, you will probably not hear from the investigators until a court date is set.

You can talk to someone at your local rape crisis center to find out what is likely to happen next. The Victim Witness Unit in the county where your case is being investigated can offer assistance as well.

Many survivors of sexual assault have found preparing to testify in court a difficult task. You may want to use the time between court proceedings to talk with a counselor about the assault, discuss your fears about going to court, and prepare for all the possible outcomes. An advocate from your local sexual assault program can help you prepare for the trial, as can staff from a Victim Witness Unit.

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