Procedures a victim should follow If a crime occurs

If a crime of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking occurs:
 
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Importance of preserving evidence

After an incident of sexual assault, dating violence or domestic violence, the person who experienced the violence should consider seeking medical attention as soon as possible. They should also consider obtaining a forensic exam to preserve evidence that may assist in proving that the alleged criminal offense occurred or that may help in obtaining a protection order. In Indiana, evidence may be collected through a forensic exam even if the person chooses not to make a report to law enforcement. Before obtaining a forensic exam, it is important that the person not bathe, douche, smoke, change clothing or clean the bed/linen/area where the individual was assaulted if the offense occurred within the past 120 hours. In circumstances of sexual assault, if the person does not opt for forensic evidence collection, health care providers can still treat injuries and take steps to address concerns of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted infections. Someone who has experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and/or dating violence is encouraged to also preserve evidence by saving text messages, instant messages, social media pages, posts or messages and other communications, as well as keeping pictures, logs or other copies of documents, if they have any.  

As time passes, evidence may dissipate or become lost or unavailable, thereby making investigation, possible prosecution, disciplinary proceedings, and/or obtaining protection orders related to the incident more difficult. If the person chooses not to make a complaint regarding an incident, they may still consider speaking with IUPD or other law enforcement to preserve evidence in the event that they decide to report the incident to law enforcement or the university at a later date. This information is also provided in the Sexual Misconduct: Rights, Options, and Resource Guide, which can be found at the end of this report under Appendix C.

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Reporting the incident

If you have experienced any violence, including dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, you are encouraged to seek help immediately. Your campus reporting options are listed on the following pages. Retaliation against anyone who makes a report of sexual misconduct is prohibited by university policy (See Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy in Appendix A).  

Involvement of law enforcement

Although the university strongly encourages all members of its community to report crimes to law enforcement (including on-campus law enforcement and/or local police), it is the choice of the person who experienced dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking whether or not to notify law enforcement. Furthermore, the person has the right to decline to notify law enforcement. University offices will assist the person with notifying law enforcement if they so desire.  

If the person chooses to report the incident to IUPD, an officer will take a statement from the person regarding what happened. The officer will ask them to describe the assailant(s) and may ask questions about the scene of the crime, any witnesses, and what happened before and after the incident. If the person wishes, they may have a support person with them during the interview. It is important to know, reporting an incident to the police is a separate step from choosing to prosecute. By filing a report, the person is not obligated to continue with legal proceedings or university disciplinary action. (See “Requests for No-University Action” under Confidentiality and Privacy ). However, prosecutors could still decide to bring charges and/or the university may still determine a need to proceed with the appropriate resolution procedures. There are numerous reasons to report to IUPD, including:   

  • Assisting the person and helping them access necessary resources;  
  • Taking actions to prevent further victimization, including the possibility of issuing a crime notice to warn the campus community of an impending threat to safety;  
  • Apprehending the assailant; 
 
  • Collection and preservation of evidence necessary for prosecution;  
  • Seeking justice for the wrong that has been done to the person; and  
  • Having the incident recorded for purposes of reporting statistics about incidents that occurred on campus.  

If a crime did not occur on university property, IUPD can still assist in contacting the appropriate law enforcement agency.