Sexual Assault Crisis support at the RCH

Counselling and emotional support

You can come into The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Emergency Department after being sexually assaulted or sexually harmed for help and support. A SASH clinician can come and support you, no matter what time of day. This might include providing emotional support to you while you are in at the hospital, making sure you feel safe and you have a safe adult in your life, and talking about ongoing options such as counselling.

Medical care

If you come into the RCH after experiencing sexual harm, you might need medical care. This might include:

• Treatment and care for any physical injuries.
• Giving you any medication you might need, including emergency contraception (birth control). 
• Arranging any additional medical procedures or tests you might need, e.g. a test for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) 

Forensic medical examination

Like reporting to the police, having one of these is your choice. A forensic medical examination might help with any enquiries into your sexual assault and might include: 

• Collection of evidence – DNA
• Photographing any injuries or physical evidence of an assault – such as cuts and bruises. 

A SASH clinician can support you through this process if you want to. They can also give you more information about what will happen and answer any questions if you are not sure or are worried about anything.