HELP’S AT Hand, by North Shore Community Services (NSCS), is a forum for discussing government policies and pro- grams, benefits, consumer and legal rights, taxation and public services. Answers are intended only as a general guide and should not be applied to individual cases without further consultation. Question: I have a close friend who was recently raped by her next-door neighbor. She does not want to press charges right now because, even though he hes skip- .ped town, she is afraid thst he wight kurt her again. I can wnderstand her reasons, but if she changes her mind about ikis, can she report it to the police ts the future? If she does report it, what is likely tc happen? t would also like to kaow what ‘Tl can do to support her as 2 ‘friend. She is having a pretty hard time emotionally. Answer: There are no time ‘{imits on when your friend reports ‘the rape; in other words, she :could decide to make a report /tomorrow cr in five years’ time. -: Although the time lapse in :teporting should not affect the chances of conviction, the reality is that witnesses and evidence are harder to gather after time has passed. However, the fact that the man has lef: town is not a factor, because if there is to be a case, the police will try to locate him to If and when. she reports to the Police, her case will be assessed by the ‘Crown. The Crown are law- yers who are agents of the at- idence that she can present, if the case is worthy of conviction ing and traumatic experience, she may have strong fears about con- of friends like yourself, > Women. Against Violence fancouver ‘organization which perates: @ rape.crisis centre, will rovide’ an experienced volunteer fo attend any preliminary hearings HELP’S AT HANI and go to cour: with your friend, along with other friends or farnily if she wishes. Statistics show that only one in 10 rapes are ever reported to the police and of these, one will result in arrest and only 10% of those men charged are convicted. These are not encouraging Statistics and because victims are faced with the stress of a court Procedure, it isn’t surprising that 906% of women never report the rape. Your friend has another option. WAVAW will -document some- thing known as a third party report, which is an anonymous sexual assault report that records all of the events of the rape and details about the rapist. WAVAW will then submit the report to local police departments and will keep a copy on file. The man is not notified at this time, but if he rapes again and can be identified by her report, she has the chance of appearing as a witness against him. Or, if she decides to report her own assault in the future, the third party report could stand as evidence. If she hasn’t already done so, it is a very gcod idea for her to have a medical examination to check for any physical or internal inju- ries, pregnancy, or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). We are told that the sexual assault team of doctors at Shaughnessy Hospital Emergency Department will guarantee con- fidentiality and not involve the police if that is what the victim wishes. Ail examinations are done only with her consent. In terms of providing emotional support, it wilt help you to under- stand that your friend is experien- cing a range of feclings, probably including anger, humiliation and powerlessness. I¢ is important to support and acknowledge all of her feelings and to reinforce that she did nothing to deserve this. As her friend, try not to ignore the topic of rape, but also be sen- sitive to her request to not dwell oa the issue. Recognize that the rape is an act of violence and refrain from focusing on the sex- ual aspect of it. Most importantly, respect her decisions even if you don’t agree with them. She has had her power taken away by the act of rape, and the process of rebuilding her power, by making her own deci- sions, is critical to her healing process. Realize what you are going through yourself and deal with Ftd laren talento REE *Buy a flame broiled Double Cheeseburger at the ‘ regular price and get a second flame broile Flame Broiled 2 g Double Cheeseburger your own feelings. These could include disbelief, doubt, anger, or guilt. It is imporiant to get your support from somewhere other than from her, but do this while yespecting her confidentiality. She may experience serious depression, anxiety, or thoughts of suicide. These feelings can come up at all hours aud so she should know that WAVAW operates a 24-hour crisis line where she can talk to a trained volunteer. Not only can she use this service for emotional support, but also to get referrals for counselling, tran- sition houses, lawyers, or infor- mation on health and court pro- cedures. You might find that you can also benefit from talking to someone on the crisis line to deal with your feelings. WAVAW is located at Suite 102 — 96 East Broadway St. in Van- couver. Their 24-hour crisis line number is 875-6011 and their business line is 875-1328. They are a non-profit society and will pro- vide public education including school presentations. This column is prepared with financial assistance from the Notary Foundation. For more in- formation call NSCS at 985-7138. “GET CHRISTMAS ON VIDEO” Canon Canovision 8 We know what it takes to make great video. NEW! 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