Adult Sexual Assault Unit

What to expect

When you go to the hospital, on your own or with a police officer, an advocate from the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA) will meet you to discuss your option for a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE). If you wish to have a SAFE, a specially trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) will respond to provide confidential and professional care specific to sexual assault. These nurses have specialized training in forensic nursing and will provide for your comfort, answer any medical questions, conduct a physical exam, and collect any physical evidence. You remain in control of your medical care and can accept or decline any part of the SAFE. SANEs are available to conduct SAFEs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Learn more about Sexual Assault Forensic Exams here:

• What is a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam?

What happens to my Sexual Assault Forensic Exam?

Whether or not you make a report to police, law enforcement will store your SAFE kit. Because of recent legislation (A.R.S. §13-1427), law enforcement is responsible for submitting kits for lab analysis if consented to by you at the time of the exam. Your kit will be labeled with a barcode and tracked as it is collected, stored in evidence, and sent to the lab. The SANE will provide you with tracking information for your exam kit, which tells you where your kit is, but does not report the lab's analysis. You can also call or email TPD ASAU at 520-837-7485 or TPDSexAssault@tucsonaz.gov.

How do I check the status of my police report or exam?

Contact TPD ASAU at 520-837-7485 or TPDSexAssault@tucsonaz.gov, and a staff member will contact you about your case. Due to the personal and confidential nature of these crimes, unit members will not provide private information to anyone other than the victim without the victim's express permission.

How do I make a police report? What happens when I do?

• Start your report by calling 911 at any time, or by going to a police substation during regular business hours. If you call 911, a police officer will be dispatched to your location.
• The police officer will ask you questions about what happened and take your initial statement.
• If the assault occurred within the last 120 hours (5 days), the police officer will offer you a SAFE. The officer can facilitate transportation to the hospital, if you like.
• The officer will contact TPD ASAU after taking your initial report. A detective may respond to continue the investigation.
• If a detective responds, they will conduct a more detailed interview with you, and they may call for additional resources to address crime scenes or suspects.
• If a detective does not respond, the officer will forward your case to ASAU. The ASAU sergeant will review the case for potential follow-up.

Your rights and available resources

You have rights as a victim of crime, and a variety of service providers and programs are available to help you.

• You may request an advocate from SACASA or Pima County Victim Services be present with you when you report, and they can direct you to additional resources.
• The decision to move forward with the investigation is yours and you may stop the process at any time. (However, per Arizona statute, law enforcement must continue investigations involving domestic violence.) You are not required to participate in the investigation.
• You can make a report at any time, and in Arizona, there is no statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual assault. However, it is important to note that evidence can be lost with delay.

Preserving evidence

If you report an assault that just occurred, be mindful that evidence may exist where the assault happened and on your body. You can help preserve evidence by:

• Preventing disturbances to the crime scene
• Refraining from showering, bathing, eating, drinking, smoking, or brushing your teeth before receiving a SAFE
• Preserving your clothing, preferably in a paper bag
• Preserving text messages or other electronic evidence on your phones or devices
• Waiting to use the bathroom, if possible. If you need to use the bathroom, it may be helpful to collect the urine in a clean container, and refrain from wiping.

All options remain available to you even if you are unable to take some or any of these measures.

Reporting to law enforcement is entirely your choice. Understandably, the process can feel overwhelming or intimidating. To help you make the best, most informed decision for yourself, you can learn more about the process here:

• Reporting to Law Enforcement
• Communicating With Law Enforcement

These organizations offer information and services you may find helpful.

• SACASA 800-400-1001 or 520-327-7273
• Pima County Victim Services 520-740-5525
• Emerge 888-428-0101, 520-795-4266
• RAINN 800-656-HOPE
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center 977-739-3895
• Consulate of Mexico in Tucson, Department of Protection/Consulado de México en Tucson, Departamento de Protección 520-882-5595
• Centro de Información y Asistencia a Mexicanos 520-623-7874 (24/7)
• YWCA Promotoras (Advocacy organization for Spanish-speaking women experiencing gender violence) 520-447-8943

No. Under the Violence Against Women Act, victims of sexual assault do not have to report to law enforcement to obtain a sexual assault forensic exam.

When making a report, you do not have to make a decision about prosecution right away. You can take your time and ask questions so you can make a decision that works for you. Also, there is no statute of limitations on prosecuting sexual assault.

• ...I was drinking / drunk?
• ...I was using drugs?
• ...I was on a date with the suspect?
• ...I was making out with the suspect?
• ...I went home with the suspect / I invited the suspect home?
• ...I had consensual sex with the suspect before they assaulted me?

Yes. Sexual assault investigations can be complex, but none of these actions, on their own, are evidence of consent.

In some situations, yes. If you wish to prosecute, or if you have a domestic violence relationship with the suspect, law enforcement will contact that person. Law enforcement is obligated to protect the rights of the victim and the accused. Therefore, the suspect has the right not to speak with police and to consult an attorney.

Detectives may ask to speak with people you know about their knowledge of what happened. While eyewitnesses are not common in these cases, detectives sometimes speak with outcry witnesses (the person or persons you first told that the abuse occurred) or other witnesses. Detectives will not explicitly tell witnesses what you reported. Instead, they will ask witnesses what they know.

Generally, if you are over the age of 18 and not under state-mandated care, law enforcement will not share your personal information and disclosure with others. Police do work closely with other entities, and they may share information in the course of their duties with colleagues or other professionals, but these individuals and organizations are also committed to your privacy. Police will not share your information with family or friends unless you give them express permission to do so.

TPD rarely releases information about a sexual assault to the media. In the event that detectives think that public assistance would be helpful in locating a suspect, or if there is a concern for public safety, police may share limited information about the assault with the media. However, the detective will strive to ensure that you are notified before information is released. Also, your name and personal information will never be released to the media.

When you report a crime to the police, that report becomes public record, and anyone can obtain a copy from our records section. However, your name, personal information, and details of the assault will be redacted from any report that is released to the public.

Yes, you can make a report at any time. While there is no longer a statute of limitations on sexual assaults, there were limitations in the past. However, it's still important to document assaults and the persons suspected of committing them. Investigators work with prosecutors to determine whether and how a case may be prosecuted when statutes of limitations apply.

Yes. There is no longer a "spousal defense" in Arizona law regarding sexual assault. In fact, sexual assault committed by your spouse or partner is considered a domestic violence offense.

Yes, it is possible to be sexually assaulted by a member of the same sex.