What is evidence?

Evidence can be:

• Any place where the assault took place is a crime scene,  anything there or around it could be evidence.  This includes you, the clothes you were wearing, items, and surfaces the person who assaulted you may have touched. 
• Evidence can be anything relevant to what happened.  e.g. forensic evidence and electronic evidence.
• Specialist police officers are trained to collect all different types of evidence and conduct examinations.

How is evidence kept or preserved?

It is very important to preserve evidence.  We know that it might be difficult but if you are thinking of reporting to police, it is important to NOT –

• Change your clothes, or wash them if you have already changed
• Comb your hair
• Wash or shower yourself
• Brush your teeth
• Eat or drink
• Clean up or disturb anything at the place where the assault happened

Don’t worry if you have already done some of these things.  It is still possible forensic evidence can be collected.  We understand it is a difficult time and it might be a lot to ask of you, but the more evidence collected the more it may assist the investigation.  If you think about what the person may have come into contact with such as glasses, cigarette butts, even a door handle; and try to prevent it from being disturbed any further.

Communication including text messages, telephone calls, social media contacts or voice mails from the person who assaulted you may assist the investigation.  If possible try to save them and give them to the investigator

What happens to the evidence?

Every effort is made to retain evidence collected during a police investigation.  Police keep the evidence until the matter is finalised in court, including all of the appeal processes.

Evidence collected can be subjected to further testing and scientific examinations.