Sexual Assault

Your main concern must be your personal safety. Remove yourself from the situation as soon as possible.

Try your best to stay calm. Assess your situation. If one strategy to remove yourself doesn’t work, try another. Possible options are: negotiating, stalling for time, distracting the assailant and fleeing to a safe place, screaming to attract attention or physically resisting.

Once you get to a safe place, dial 9-1-1 immediately.

I'm unsure if I want to file a police report:

Victims of sexual assault are not obligated to participate in a police investigation, however, they can still choose to obtain what is commonly referred to as a “rape kit” or SART exam (Sexual Assault Response Team). A few things to consider:

• This exam gathers any forensic evidence from the victim. 
• Nurses will also check for transmitted diseases and provide a contraceptive.
• Victims of sexual assault will also be provided with an advocate who can provide other services to facilitate the transition from victim to survivor of sexual assault.
• At any point, the victim can choose to change their mind about the exam and also choose to speak to the police. 

For those choosing to not have a police investigation, you can contact the Center for Community Solutions - Rape Crisis Hotline at 888-385-4657 to discuss your options. See more resources below. 

I want to file a report:

If you are currently being assaulted or in immediate danger, dial 9-1-1. For an assault that has occurred in the past, call SDPD's non-emergency line at 619-531-2000.

An officer will be dispatched to take a report. The report will be transferred to the Sex Crimes Unit and a detective will contact the victim. An interview will be conducted, and an advocate will be offered to attend the interview. Depending on the case, the detective will discuss next steps in the investigation.

Contact SDPD’s Sex Crimes Unit or SDPD non-emergency line at 619-531-2000. Provide as much information as possible to aid in the investigation. Note that active investigations are confidential, and the investigator may not be able to share information with you.

In 2021, the State of California passed Senate Bill 215, which requires law enforcement to give survivors of sexual assault anonymous access to their kit’s progress through the criminal justice system.

To fulfill this requirement, the San Diego Police Department is offering a Victim Portal, a secure website that allows survivors to track the progress of their sexual assault kits anonymously and securely.