Preserving Evidence

  • If you would like to seek prosecution, it can be helpful to preserve evidence.


    Fingerprint, evidence

    - Try to avoid doing the following until after you’ve had a SART exam: shower, bathe, eat, drink, wash your hands or brush your teeth
    - However if you have already done these things, DNA and other evidence may still be collected
    - Save all clothing that you were wearing at the time of the assault and place each item in a separate paper bag (Don't use plastic bags)
    - Avoid cleaning or disturbing the area where the assault occurred
    - Ask for a urine test if you suspect that you’ve been drugged


    Phone, chat
    - Save all text messages, emails, social media postings (taking screenshots can be helpful), or anything else that might be helpful later in reconstructing the events
    - If you've already deleted text messages, you might be able to recover them if it's still within the same billing period; contact your mobile service provider for information
    - Write down the names of people who might have seen you immediately before or after the assault, as it’s easy to later forget names or locations