Alternative Reporting Options

Alternative Reporting Options (ARO) exists for survivors of a sexual assault. 

ARO (formerly Project USA – Unreported Sexual Assault) provides the survivor or a sexual assault an alternative to making a formal complaint.  Many survivors have reasons for not officially reporting the crimes of sexual assault or rape.  ARO gives the survivor the opportunity to provide police with the full circumstances of their assault with the option of remaining anonymous if they wish.

ARO does not involve any judicial process.

ARO can be an extremely useful healing strategy for the survivor and an effective investigative strategy for law enforcement agencies. Survivors can feel empowered by knowing that the information they possess and provide could be used to solve reported offences of a similar nature.

Police can use this information to:

• assist other prosecutions against an offender; and
• protect the community by enabling police to devise intelligence driven strategies designed to target an offender and reduce repeat offending.

You have the option when completing the form to have a police officer contact you and discuss your situation. 

Alternative reporting options brochure

How to participate in ARO

Irrespective of your age at the time of the offence and irrespective of how many years ago the offence took place:

1. Are you the survivor of a sexual assault?
2. Did it occur anywhere in Queensland?

If you answered yes to the above questions you may participate in the ARO process.

If you want your matter investigated by police call us now.  

If you do not want a suspect prosecuted but would like the police to know about an event of sexual violence for intelligence purposes, please continue using ARO.  Your participation with the ARO is voluntary. 

ARO – Sexual assault form

You can remain anonymous if you wish.

Please complete the online ARO (Alternative Report Option) for Sexual Assault Form. Please note, by completing this online form you are not making a formal complaint to the Queensland Police Service.

Alternatively you can print and complete the ARO (Alternative Report Option) for Sexual Assault Form. This form can be hand written. Once the form is completed please send a scanned copy via : 

• Email: alternativereportingoptions@police.qld.gov.au

             OR

• Postal Address: Sexual Crime Unit
  Brisbane Police Headquarters, (CASCG Level 1)
  GPO Box 1440, Brisbane Qld 4001

N.B. When completing the summary of assault/incident page, please provide as much detail as possible regarding the circumstances leading up to, during and after the sexual assault/rape.  The more detail regarding the offender’s behaviour and what they did will greatly assist police in how this information is used.