Sexual AssaultSupport and Information An Accessible Booklet

Introduction 2 Whatisthisbookletabout? 2

WhatisSex? 3

What is sexual assault? 4

Whatisrape? 6

Respectwithyourpersonalcareneeds 7

FilmsandPhotos 7

Who can abuse? 8

Your feelings are important 10

Talk to someone you trust 12

Help and Support after a rape or sexual assault 13

RapeCrisisCentres 13

Talkwithacounsellor 14

VisitaDoctor 15

Sexual assault and rape are against the law 16

Medical examination for Garda evidence 17

Itisneveryourfault 18

Useful Information 19

Table of Contents

1

What is this booklet about?Thisbookletisaboutsexualassaultandrape.

Ittellsyouwhatsexualassaultis.

Ittellsyouwhatyoucandoifyouhavebeensexuallyassaultedandwhereyoucangethelpandsupport.

Sexualassaultcanhappentoanyone.

Itcanhappentomenorwomen,youngpeopleandolderpeople.

Rememberitisneveryourfault.

Introduction

2

What is Sex?Sexiswhenpeoplegetpleasurefromtouchingeachother’sbodies.

Itisyourchoiceifyouwanttohavesex.Tohavesexyouandtheotherpersonneedtobe17yearsold.

Itisyourchoicetohavesex.Bothpeopleinvolvedneedtoagree.

Bothpeopleneedtogiveconsenttohavesex.Consentmeansthatyouagree.

3

Ifsomeonedoessexualthingstoyouthatyoudonotwantthemtodo,thisiscalledsexualassault.

Ifyouareforcedtotakepartinasexualactthatyoudon’twanttodoorhavenotagreedto,thisiscalledrapeorasexualassault.

Being forced to take part in a sexual act can mean:

Usingwordsthatthreaten.

Beingtalkedintodoingsomethingyoudonotwanttodo.

What is sexual assault?

4

Beingphysicallyoverpowered.

Sexualassaultiswhensomeonetouchesyourbodyoryourprivatepartswhenyoudonotwantthemto.

Itiswrongforsomeonetokissyouwhenyoudonotwantthemto.

Itiswrongforsomeonetosaysexualcommentsthatmakeyoufeeluncomfortable.

Itiswrongforsomeonetosaythingstotryandmakeyouhavesexwhenyoudonotwantto.

5

ItisnotOKforsomeonetoofferyoumoneyorpresentstodosomethingsexualthatyoudonotwanttodo.

Itiswrongwhensomeonemakesyoutouchtheirbodywhenyoudonotwantto.

What is rape?Ifsomeonehassexwithyouwhenyoudon’twantto,thisisrape.

Itiswrongforsomeonetomakeyouhavesexwhenyoudon’twantto.

6

Respect with your personal care needs. Sometimespeopleneedsupportwiththeirpersonalcare,likegoingtothetoiletorhavingabath.

Thisshouldbedoneinprivateandwithrespect.

Nooneelseshouldwatchyougettingpersonalcareinawaythatmakesyoufeeluncomfortable.

Films and PhotosItisnotrightforsomeonetoshowyoufilmsorphotosofsexifyoudonotwanttoseethem.

Youshouldnotbephotographedorfilmedinposesthatmakeyoufeeluncomfortable.

7

Anabuseristhepersonwhosexuallyassaultsorrapesyou.

Abuserslooklikeeveryoneelse.

Menandwomencanbeabusers.

Anabusermightbesomeoneyouknowandtrust.

Sometimesastrangercantrytosexuallyassaultyou.

An abuser can be:Yourfriend.

Someoneyouworkwith.

Someonewhousesthesameserviceasyou.

Yourpartner.

Who can abuse?

8

An abuser can be:Yoursupportworkerorcarer.

Yourparentorsomeoneinyourfamily.

Yourneighbour.

Astranger.

Someonewholivesinthesamehouseasyou.

9

Peoplemayreactdifferentlyafterasexualassault.

Whateveryoufeelisimportant.Youmayfeelafraid,terror,helpless,humiliated,shame,angryandpainafteranassault.

Sexualassaultandrapecanbepainfulanddifficulthumanexperiences.

Ifyouhavebeenrapedorsexuallyassaulteditisneveryourfault.

Youhavedonenothingwrong.

Your feelings are important

10

Your feelings are important:Thepersonwhoraped,assaultedorabusedyoumighttellyounottotellanyone.

Thisisbecausetheabuserknowsthatwhattheydidwaswrong.

Youshouldtrytotalktosomeoneyoutrust.

Youcouldtalktopeopleyoutrustlikeafriend,asupporteryoutrust,afamilymemberyoutrust,yourDoctororasocialworkerorarapecrisiscentre.

11

Youshouldtellsomeoneifyouhavebeenassaulteditcanhelpyoufeelsafeandfindoutwheretogetsupport.

Itcanmakeyoufeelbettertotalktosomeoneyoutrust.

Supportcanhelpyoudealwithhowyoufeel.Withsupportyoucangoontohaveagoodlife.

Talk to someone you trust

12

Rape Crisis CentresYoucancontactyourlocalRapeCrisisCentreforhelpifyouhavebeensexuallyassaulted.

Seerapecrisishelp.iefordetailsofyourlocalcentre.

TheDublinrapecrisiscentrehasaNational24hourhelplineforimmediatehelpandsupport.

Youcancall 1800 77 88 8824hoursadayeverydayoftheyear.

Help and support after a rape or a sexual assault

13

Talk with a counsellorTheRapeCrisisCentrehastrainedcounsellorsyoucantalkto.

Acounsellorisapersonwhohasbeentrainedtolistentopeopletalkingaboutthingsthathavehappenedtothem.

Theygiveadviceandsupporttoanyonewhohasexperiencedrapeorsexualassault.

A counsellor can helpAcounsellorcanhelpyouworkoutwhatyouwanttodo.

Mostthingsyoutellacounsellorareprivate.

YourDoctorcanhelpyoufindacounselloralso.

14

Visit a DoctorWhenapersonhasbeenrapedorsexuallyassaultedtheyneedtoseeadoctorassoonaspossible.

Sexualassaultandrapemaycauseaninfectionfromasexuallytransmitteddisease.

Awomanwhohasbeenrapedmaybeatriskofbecomingpregnant.

Youmayneedmedicaltreatmentifyouhavebeeninjuredorhurt.

15

Sexualassaultandrapeareagainstthelaw.

Theyarecrimesandabusersmaygotoprison.

IfyouwanttoreportthecrimetotheGardaíyoushouldcontactthenearestGardastationtoyouorcall999or112.

IfyouwanttoreportthiscrimetotheGardaítheywillwritedownwhatyousay.

Youcanhavesomeoneyoutrustwithyouwhenyoudothis.

Sexual assault and rape are against the law

16

Youmaybeaskedtohaveamedicalexaminationsoevidencecanbecollected.

Ifyouwantyoucanagreetothis.

TheGardaícanbringyoutothesexualassaulttreatmentunitorothermedicalservicesfortheexamination.

Evidencecollectedwillbeusedtosupportyourcase.

SometimesitmightbehardfortheGardaítofindenoughprooftotakeyourcasetocourt.

ThisdoesnotmeantheGardaíwillnotbelieveyou.

Medical examination for Garda evidence

17

It is never your faultRememberifyouarerapedorsexuallyassaulteditisneveryourfault.

Youhavedonenothingwrong.

Tryandtellsomeoneyoutrustwhathashappenedtoyou.

Withhelpandsupportyoucandealwithwhathappenedtoyouandmoveon.

18

Useful information

In an emergency always call – 999 or 112

Sexual violence Helplineformenandwomen-1800778888

Domestic Violence HelplineforWomen-1800341900

Helplineformen-0469023718

Elder AbuseHelpline-1850241850

Cosc,TheNationalOfficeforthePreventionofDomestic,SexualandGenderbasedViolence.

Forinformationonlocalandnationalservicesvisitwww.cosc.ie

Rape Crisis Network, Ireland,ProvidesSpecialistinformationandresourcesonrapeandallformsofsexualviolence.

Forinformationonsexualviolencevisitwww.rapecrisishelp.ie

19

An Garda Siochana hasadirectoryoflocalGardastations.VisittheWebsitewww.garda.ie

Sexual Assault Treatment Units or SATUgivesinformationon6SexualAssaultTreatmentUnitsinIreland.

Theseunitsprovideservicestowomenandmenwhohavebeenrecentlyassaultedorraped.VisittheWebsitewww.hse.ie/satu

20

Acknowledgement:InclusionIrelandwouldliketoacknowledgeandthankthemenandwomenwhoassistedusinproducingthisbooklet.

Allimages©CHANGEwww.changepeople.co.uk

Inclusion Ireland

UnitC2,TheSteelworksFoleyStreet

Dublin1

018559891

info@inclusionireland.ie

www.inclusionireland.ie