How we collect evidence after spiking-related rape or sexual assault

If you think there may have been a rape or sexual assault, go to your nearest sexual assault referral centre (SARC) for specialist care and support.

You can get a forensic medical exam at a SARC. We can refer you to a SARC or you can refer yourself to a SARC without involving us at all.

Find your nearest SARC:

If you're in England

If you're in Wales

Some SARCs are in hospitals, others stand alone. They have different names in different locations.

You'll get support through the medical examination process. A nurse or doctor will do the examination. They are specially trained to do this as sensitively as possible. You can ask to see a female or male nurse or doctor. They'll take your medical history and explain exactly what will happen.

They will:

• make sure you're safe and well
• record any injuries
• take samples (for example using swabs) which may help with the investigation

Talk to them if you want to give evidence but not share it with the police yet.

If possible, try not to:

• eat or drink
• smoke
• wash
• brush your teeth
• go to the toilet
• change your clothes
• clean or tidy the place it happened

Do

• Keep other people and pets away from where it happened.
• Keep things like condoms, or any tampons, sanitary towels or tissues you've used; put them in a clean plastic bag.
• If you do need to go the the toilet, collect any urine in a clean container.
• If you decide to change your clothes, please stand on something like a newspaper or towel, to catch anything that could fall from them, for example a strand of the offender's hair; then keep them unwashed in a paper bag.

Don't worry if you've already done any of these things or it's too late to do any of these things. That doesn't mean it's too late to collect forensic evidence.

Early evidence kits

If you report a spiking-related rape or sexual assault to us, we might offer you an early evidence kit to collect forensic evidence before you go for a forensic medical examination (if you decide to have one).

This lets us gather evidence that might otherwise be lost, like a urine sample if you need to go to the toilet.